A Healing Story

Sally's heart felt both tender and full today. There was a little ache where she felt the feeling of missing her grandmother. She felt many feeling right now and had many thoughts and questions. At times during the past few days she felt teary and tiny water falls of tears flow. Then she felt relief for awhile.

A few days ago her Grandmother Tilda had passed away. Everything felt different. Sally wondered if would everything ever be the same again? Where did Grandma Tilda go? Her mother told her " She has gone on to continue her souls journey, she will always be with us in our hearts, in beautiful memories and in the love that we shared. We are all forever held in mother and father Gods love, the divine is in us and with us all."

Sally felt some comfort from what her mother said, and she still felt sad. She too, had begun to wonder about angels. Where did they live? What did they do all day and night? Were fairies and angels friends?

All week all kinds of people and lots of them came by their home. Some dropped off food, some were there to discuss plans. There seemed to be lots of plans to make and she was not included in these visits. Sometimes Sally wanted to see the people that stopped by and if felt okay. Sometimes she did not want to see or visit with anyone!

One day the whole family went to the church. Her mother told her is was called a funeral and it was to honor the life of Grandmother Tilda. Sally's mother and father encouraged her to sit close with them, to sit still, and to just relax and listen or rest during the service. When they got to the church Sally noticed there were many kinds of flowers , "they are so beautiful" she thought! One at a time people took turns and went to the front of the church and said kind things about grandmother Tilda. Sometimes people laughed and celebrated while sharing memories and others cried or were very quiet, almost whispering what they shared.

At the end of the service Sally felt tired and just wanted to go home. Her mother said there was another gathering right after the service. Sally asked if she could please go home. Her mother said she would find someone to take Sally home so she could rest and she did. Sally felt relieved.

Another week passed by and Sally was swinging in her swing. She was still missing her grandmother. She wondered and questioned what other journey her grandmothers soul might be on? The she saw her mother walking over to the swing carrying a small box, a blanket and some tea.

Her mother approached her saying "This is a gift for you to have. It is from Grandma Tilda. It is a very special gift she chose just for you several months ago. Here is a blanket and some tea, want to sit out here awhile? Sally said "yes" and sat down on the blanket. Her mother gave her a hug and went back to the house.

Sally loved happy surprises! She sat and looked at the box. She felt a warm breeze blow across the field and felt a lightness touch her heart. She opened the box and peered inside. There was a delicate gold bracelet with four charms on it. She began to look at each charm.

The first charm she looked at was a small white pearl, the next a silver snowflake, then a gold heart and, last a silver conch shell. All were on the beautiful gold chain. She felt very glad for this gift of a charm bracelet! She placed it on her wrist and decided to rest on the blanket. She watched the clouds pass over the brilliant blue sky, relaxed and closed her eyes.

When she awoke, it was another place, yet somehow the same place. She sat up and checked her wrist. The bracelet was still on and made a little jingle sound. She noticed though the pearl charm was beginning to glow. So she rested her wrist on the blanket and the pearl charm began to unfold like a flower booming! A tiny fairy in a white gown, with white wings stretched and looked at Sally.

Sally was surprised, it was the first time she remembered seeing fairy! The fairy had a sweet voice and said " Hi Sally, I am gift from your Grandma Tilda, a gift about loving memories. Remember you are a treasure! Remember the importance of gifts seen and unseen. Remember the love you and your Grandma Tilda shared, always remember these precious things.

The the fairy twirled, stretched her arms like a ballerina, and took a bow. She began to glow and a light began to spin all around her until she was once again a shining pearl. Sally whispered back to the fairy, " I will, I heard you and I will remember, always, always."

She let her wrist rest on her so she could see the bracelet. The next charm she saw was the snowflake charm. As she watched it, it too began to glow and there was a little spinning light that formed and became brighter, whiter. Slowly a snow fairy twirled ballerina and began to float in the air like a snow flake. She whispered, "Remember last winter the time you spent with your Grandma Tilda?".

Sally could remember everything about her visit to Grandma Tilda's last winter; she remembered cold crisp air in her nose and throat, the quiet snow covered field, the warm kitchen as she and Grandma Tilda were baking cookies and, she remembered peering out the frosty window panes. Grandma said "Look the snow flakes are gently held in the air as they float about, they whirl and twirl and have a not a care. They then land, with out a sound on a tree or field grasses or here on the windowsill."

Later that day grandma showed her how to cut snowflakes out of paper and use glue to add silvery glitter to the paper. They were sparkly and beautiful! Grandma said, "Each snowflake is unique, yet together they all create a lovely ballet in the air. Then when they reach the ground, they form a beautiful white blanket that adds a sense of peace for us to enjoy and cherish during the winter. "

Sally said aloud to the fairy, " I remember making the beautiful snow flakes, the glitter, the kitchen and grandma sharing about how the blanket of snow can bring a feeling a peace. It was lovely peaceful and bright!" She remembered her grandma's bright blue eyes, as she looked out the window and they reflected the snow covered field.

Sally said to the snow ballerina, "I will always remember how we watched the snow ballet together!". The fairy said ," The gifts I offer are the gifts of peace and gentleness." The fairy the leapt and gently floated on the air, then she twirled as the light around her began to swirl and become brighter. The in a blink she had disappeared into the snowflake charm.

Sally stood and twirled in the grass, danced a slow dance as the bracelet jingled on her wrist. She felt light and free. Her feet carried her across the green lawn, around the tree and back again to the blanket. She settled again and looked at the bracelet.

The next charm was already beginning to glow and shine like a small golden sun. This golden fairy had delicate golden shimmering sunray wings! The fairy introduced herself as the sun fairy, she said "the heart charm is to remind you of the love you and Grandma Tilda shared. It is to help you remember those moments of love and joy that last forever in our hearts." As the fairy said that Sally had a memory of the flower garden she and grandma planted.

The garden had begun with Grandma Tilda and Sally digging in the soil with the garden tools. It was just big enough to have sunflowers, lilies, roses, rosemary and lavender , then along the border some pansies and daisies. Grandma had said, " with this good soil, rain, fresh air, sun and lots of love those little plants will grow even more beautiful flowers."

And so it was that after a few weeks the flowers had grown and added more and more color to the garden. The blooms were purple, blue, red, yellow and orange. Some were bold and some were soft in color. She and grandma were both so surprised and happy they hugged while looking at the garden!

Sally remembered how if felt to be hugged by Grandma, her mom had the same warm hug. It felt warm and safe in her heart and there as a happiness all around her that felt like the gentle warming rays of the sun. The garden had been the first garden for Sally and she would treasure that time and these memories. The warm soil, watering the plants, she and Grandma checking on them to see how they were growing. It was as as if nature had a certain natural magic, the way the flowers grew.

The fairy flew high in the air. She was a tiny sun shining against a bright blue sky. The she folded her wings and like a beautiful bird she gave one twirl and swooped, disappearing into the heart charm!

Sally was amazed, she leaned back on the blanket and rested a moment then glanced over at the last charm on the bracelet. The tiny silver conch shell had a beautiful pink color enameled on the inner spiral. The spiral lines of the shell curved around to a point at the top of the shell charm.

Once Grandma Tilda was holding a large conch shell to her ear and she said to Sally, "Come listen and hear the sounds of the oceans song that this shell has saved inside. Sadie ran over and held the conch shell close to her ear and she could hear it! The ocean sounds, like wave songs as they arriving at the shoreline, then receding. Somehow inside the conch shell was their song!

Grandma said "Isn't that another bit of natures magic? Shells are some of the treasures the ocean shares with us by washing them to the shore. Sometimes shells are homes for little creatures, so always best to check to see who is home and let them be if there is someone living there."

"I miss you grandma!" Sally said out loud. Then quietly she said to herself "and I still feel you, your love , our love here in my heart. It's right here with me."

The little light began to spin around the tiny conch shell. The shell began to spiral open. A pink fairy stretched her silver wings. She said "I am here to help you remember the wisdom of life, the connection of love in life."

"Remember how your Grandmother spoke of the Great Love?", the fairy said. "Yes." said Sally, "She said that all of nature is connected in this great love and that we are somehow part of it. That this great love lives in our own hearts and we are part of this incredible creation, it is wondrous and beautiful, and that our love can helps others love grow too."

"Yes!" said the fairy. "Remember how your grandmother shared that love can flow even when we are sad, and how we can see beauty even we are sad or angry, and how we can still feel peace or be kind even if we also are sad or angry. The experiences of peace, love, wisdom, and gentleness they are still all right here connected in your life too. They help the sad feeling know it is not so lonely. For the sad feeling or grief feeling means someone or something was truly treasured by you and still can be, just in a different way as we move to the next steps of life."

The fairy said," Take time to rest and it's also okay to play and live your life as you move forward. Being with family can help us heal, being with good friends can help us heal and being in nature can help us heal. Maybe you and your mother can create a new flower garden together at your family home. We'll be there, fairies love gardens! We are always found in nature!"

The pink fairy began to sing a soft song that reminded Sally of being by the ocean. Then the tiny spinning light appeared and began to spin around the fairy and she too twirled and then disappeared into the tiny silver conch shell charm.

Sally felt her heart begin to lighten again and all she could say was "thank you!" She said thank you to her grandmother, thank yous to the fairies, and thank you to her mother, to her parents. Somehow all the way to her toes she felt a loving connection. The love connection within felt sure and real. Her heart was beginning to feel a space where it felt more free and soft. And she felt sleepy again, so stretched out on the blanket and closed her eyes.

When Sally awoke she was in place that was new, yet somehow the same. She felt warm, and she felt a sense of joy and a sense of happiness beginning to grow. It felt like she had been embraced by a golden sweetness. She heard her mother calling from the house and ran to hug her and share her adventure.