Happy Mother's Day.

For those that do not know, I’ve been taking part in a challenge every day this month to go out and sit with nature. To become closer to nature and more observant. To learn the lessons that can only be learned in stillness. Today’s challenge (in a nut shell) was to write a story about nature and incorporate morals. This being Mother’s day (If it’s not too pretentious of me) I would like to make a gift of this story to all the Mother’s that have helped me over the course of my pregnancy. To the women who held my hands during the pregnancy when I was afraid, who came when our homebirth did not go as planned and we rushed to the hospital. To the women who held my hand through delivery and during that first month of motherhood when I was laid up on bed rest too sick to even change my own son’s diapers. Thank you. We are not bound by blood but something deeper. You are all my mother’s in spirit and I love each and every one of you. I also want to give this to my son. Without him I would not be a mother. During this first year he has already taught me so very much and I know there is still much, much more to learn. Thank you.

The story of the Earth Mother and her Child.

As written by ‘Appleshoe’.

Day 11. Today I sit surrounded by all the beauty and majesty of nature. Everything, everywhere, contains beauty even if we cannot see it at first. From the majestic Oaks, to the ripple on the pond caused by the slightest of breezes. To the smallest of shoots and beneath the moss covered stones.  Today it is the voice of a small stone far below that I hear.

The lump of coal lay deeper than below the bridge that I now sit on. Deeper than the bottom of the pond. Deeper even still than burrowing things burrow. This stone lay nestled snugly in the Earth Mother’s bosom, near to the warmth of her heart. It was a silky black stone that sparkled like the stars in the night sky, but it did not see its beauty and worth.

One day the little lump of coal cried out, “Earth Mother, Wise Mother! Help me! I am small, sooty, worthless, and unlovely.”

The Earth Mother was sad that this little one did not see its beauty and worth and responded, “ You are dark and silky as the night sky. You shine and you sparkle like a thousand stars. I have given you the warmth of my heart so that you may warm others”.

The coal was not satisfied. “If I burn myself up to warm others there will be nothing left of me. Change me to be something beautiful and useful”.

So the Earth Mother wrapped her strong embrace around the little one and drew it close to the warmth of her heart.

“Earth Mother!” Cried out the stone, “Your embrace is crushing me and the heat of your heart burns me”.

“Sometimes change hurts little one,” replied the Earth Mother.

And change it did. The warmth of the Earth’s heart and the weight of her embrace transformed the little lump of coal into a diamond.

“Look Mother! Am I not more beautiful than the Turquoise and Agate now? Do I not shine brighter than the Emerald and Ruby?”

So enthralled was the Diamond with its new beauty that it did not see the Earth Mother shaking her head. It did not hear her softly say, “One day you will understand little one”.

Years went by. The Diamond was mined and discovered by man. They praised its beauty and luster. They placed a value on its shine. Then they cut the diamond to enhance its beauty and set it in jewelry so that it could adorn Kings and Queens. The cutting and buffing hurt, but the diamond remembered that sometimes change hurts and so it endured.  

“Look Mother! Look how beautiful I am now. See how much I am worth?” But the Earth Mother did not respond.

Many more years passed and the stone was enhanced, split and set in many different pieces of jewelry. Its beauty became known far and wide, but with each new cutting and setting the Diamond felt an unease growing in its heart. The Diamond called out, “Why am I discontent? I am beautiful and my beauty is loved far and wide. Why do I feel this emptiness?”

Only the wind echoed back, “Emptiness…”

The Diamond thought for a very long time and then started to break itself smaller. It hurt, but this time the Diamond knew it had a purpose and so endured again. Smaller and smaller it made itself until it was a fine grit that man took and used to make tools. Those tools helped man and were then used to make finer tools; eventually those tools were introduced into hospitals. Many lives were saved by these fine tools, and many more lives would be. As the Diamond felt the last of its powder being ground away it called out one last time.

“Earth Mother, I understand now.  It is in giving of myself that I find my beauty and worth”, and with that, the Diamond was gone.

The Earth Mother smiled and said, “You've learned well little one”. Then she stretched out her arms and wept. As her tears rained down they caught the light and sparkled like many, many diamonds.