Once upon a time, there was a magical Grandmother who believed – with all her heart – that ALL the people and ALL the beings mattered in the in the mystical forest where she lived.
Her name was Daphne, which comes from an ancient story about Laurel trees. The leaves of Laurel trees were used for crowns in contests like the Olympic Games and called to mind things which the world very much needed, like inspiration and healing and art. The Laurel tree was also a symbol of the end of war.
You may have met a Laurel tree as a bay leaf in your soup! We don’t eat them, but they’re busy adding flavor and healing energy! Daphne was very glad to know about Laurel trees, and bay leaves, for the world she loved needed lots of healing.
Daphne worked and worked to help healing happen, for she had many, many beloveds trying hard to grow up in her forest.
When Daphne was very young, her own grammy called the family together one day and asked them all to sit in a circle in the forest. Then, she passed a very, very big ball of red yarn back and forth across the circle until it looked like a spider web, with each beloved holding a piece. Then, Grammy told an old, old story. A story so old that it was called a legend.
A legend is a story that comes down from the past and has been told many, many times in many, many places. Part of the magic of a legend is that listeners learn new things, depending on what is going on in their worlds at that moment in time.
Then, Daphne’s grammy handed each beloved a leaf with a name written, magically, upon it. The names were of the plants and animals which lived in the forest, along with other natural wonders like moon and water.
Then, the fun began! Each member of the family shared a way that the forest-dweller on their leaf related to the forest-dweller on the leaf of the one across the red thread circle from them. Imagine it like this…
You are there in the circle in the forest and your leaf says honey bee. The person across the circle from you is holding a leaf that says dandelion. You – wise one – might share that dandelions help feed bees so that they can make honey to help animals and humans.
Daphne, who – as you have guessed – is a bear, had to think and think and think to understand how she, as a bear, worked together with river. Then, she knew! River gave her water to drink and helped keep the forest healthy so things worked better for all who lived there.
And on it goes, until each member of the family has spoken the ways they all work together in the magical forest!
Daphne loved that game! Then, Daphne grew up and learned many, many more stories along the way.
One day, she was sitting in a circle with some new friends. The kind of friends called artists. One of the teachers – whose name meant Wisdom, told them a story about red thread. First the wise artist teacher explained that the story she was going to tell was very, very old. So old it was called a legend.
Because the legend had been told since ancient times, in many places and languages, there were many ways to tell it. The one Daphne loved the best was this:
We are all connected by a magical red thread, even before we are born, to beings who will matter in our lives. To beings who will help us become who we were born to be.
Daphne is sharing that legend, still, with people who are looking for connection and ways to matter. Just like she is sharing it with you, now.
And Grandmother Moon is smiling!
ps.. this is a painting of a Laurel tree I met in France. It has a very special story… for another day.
pps… Daphne is busy writing a new book with more stories like this one – AND – there’s a book already ready to read! A book with a story of beginnings and belonging. Just click here to get copies for the Littles you love!
ppps… the statue, peering over Daphne’s shoulder in the photo we began with, holds the spirit of many, many of my ancestors, all thrilled with the hope of this moment! And their message is: PLEASE VOTE!
