Water Bugs & Dragonflies

My Mother was telling me about this story...it's beautiful. Enjoy.....

Water Bugs and Dragonflies
By Doris Stickney

Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water bugs.  They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun.  For many months they were very busy, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond.

They did notice that every once in a while one of their colony seemed to lose interest in going about with its friends.  Clinging to the stem of a pond lily, it gradually moved out of sight and was seen no more.

“Look”, said one of the water bugs to another.  “One of our colony is climbing up the lily stalk.  Where do you suppose she is going?”

Up, up it went slowly.  Even as they watched, the water bug disappeared from sight.  Its friends waited but it didn’t return.

“That’s funny!” said one water bug to another.

“Wasn’t she happy here?” asked a second water bug.

“Where do you suppose she went?” wondered a third.

No one had an answer.  They were greatly puzzled.  Finally one of the water bugs, a leader in the colony, gathered its friends together.  “I have an idea.  The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where he or she went and why.”

“We promise,” they said solemnly.

One spring day, not long after, the very water bug who had suggested the plan found himself climbing up the lily stalk.  Up, up, up he went.  Before he knew what was happening, he had broken through the surface of the water, and fallen onto the broad, green lily pad above.

When he awoke, he looked about with surprise.  He couldn’t believe what he saw.  A startling change had come to his old body.  His movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail.  Even as he struggled, he felt an impulse to move his wings.  The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from the new body.  He moved his wings again and suddenly found himself up above the water.  He had become a dragonfly.

Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air.  He felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere.  By and by, the new dragonfly lighted happily on a lily pad to rest.  Then it was, that he chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond.  Why, he was right above his old friends, the water bugs!  There they were, scurrying about, just as he had been doing some time before.

Then the dragonfly remembered the promise.  “The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk will come back and tell where he or she went and why”.

Without thinking, the dragonfly darted down.  Suddenly he hit the surface of the water and bounced away.  Now that he was a dragonfly, he could no longer go into the water.

“I can’t return!” he said in dismay.  “At least I tried, but I can’t keep my promise.  Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my new body.  I guess I’ll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too.  Then they’ll understand what happened to me and where I went.”
The dragonfly then winged off happily into its wonderful new world of sun and air.

Saturday morning inspiration

It is a beautiful Saturday morning! The sun was shining brightly in the dining room window so I sat down at the table and put this together. Sometimes ideas come when you aren't planning for them....

The time was right

A couple of pieces I made tonite. I had these heart beads for a while but it was not until tonite that I knew how to put them together. Life is alot like that too.....it all comes together when the time is just right!

There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart . . . pursue those.

Author Unknown

Pretty Butterfly

You can shed tears that she is  gone
 or you can smile

because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray

that she’ll come back
or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left.

Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her
or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow

and live yesterday
or you can be happy for tomorrow

because of yesterday.

You can remember her and only that she’s gone
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back
or you can do what she’d want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

http://youtu.be/yt8MAFApHWg

In time you will know

It has been almost a year since Kari passed away..... It is so hard to imagine that the time has gone so quickly. It has been a year of many ups and downs as I try and deal with my loss. Mine is of course so much different than her Mother's, her Father's, her Sister's and most of all her children's. We all had our own relationship with Kari and are dealing and trying to understand it in our own way.

I can say that through her passing there has come some understanding, not about what happened or why it happened because I still try and piece it together. There is no way that I can but my mind wants to balance the scales....I am a true Libra. The understanding comes in the form of my spirituality. I have been what could be referred to a a sideliner.....I would watch and listen and take away what I thought I should at the time. Now I feel like I am in the centre of the learning and growing and understanding. There is still so much to discover about this life that we have been given but I feel like I am ready to really "see" things in the way I am meant to. I feel like I am getting ready to bust out of my own coccoon....that my purpose is being unveiled... 

I have decided that I am going to slow down and make a point to see something everyday. Take a minute to really look at someone, or something or even a situation. It's quite an amazing feeling to have that moment sink deep within your soul and see it differently. I had a revelation of a moment that happened last year. I don't remember alot of the small details from the past but this one has stuck with me and I have finally figured out why. 

It was Friday morning at the daycare the day after Kari's Celebration of Life. It was a beautiful sunny day and we were dropping Anthony at daycare so that we could go and golf in the Treasure Life golf tournament. While we were waiting for the doors to open at 7:00 a semi truck drove up to the 4 way stop. On the passenger side door were the words "Kay Jay Trucking". At the time I noticed the name and thought...wow..that's cool. Looking back at it now I have finally figured it out....it was Kari....."hey guys here I am"....she wanted to get a glimpse of us and for us to get a glimpse of her. It took me a year to appreciate this moment for what I think it was. I know that some people would say "Oh, it's just a coincidence" but in my mind it was Kari......   

Take the time to really see..and to appreciate what is in your life. It is such a wonderful experience!

I love you Kari and I miss you....

Run Wild 2012

Saturday afternoon I charged my iPod in preparation for the run on Sunday morning. When it was finished I let Anthony listen to it as he done so many times in the past. Later on I asked him where it was..."I don't know Mamma"...really??? We scoured my tiny house....no where to be found!...really??? I thought of my Mother and how she prays to St Anthony, the Patron Saint of lost items. Perhaps this Anthony knew where it was. Nope.....Not much I could do..had to let it go. I was obviously not meant to listen to my running music while I was running. Sunday morning I woke up with my kidney pains...really??? then I had a nervous stomach...really??? I had a hearty breakfast got my running gear on and Tony, Anthony and I left for St. Albert. It was an absolutely beautiful sunny, crisp morning.  

I was feeling overwhelmed...but I was ready. I was here...and I was going to run 10 km!!

Little man walked me to the starting line...off I went. I know why I wasn't meant to listen to my music...I was meant to be in tune with the moment, my surroundings, the people along side me and mostly with myself. It was time to do something completely by myself for myself...and I did it!!! I did it in 1:05:06...almost 2 minutes better than last year. 
I know my pretty little butterflies were with me too xox

With all of the glitches before the race...they were minor in the grand scheme of things.

When things get rough and you think that there are forces at work putting obstacles in your path..remember it is most likely yourself...... Let love carry you through......



A few more

I think I had a creative growth spurt today......

Some sweet pendants I found....added the Swarovski Crystal butterfly pendants.

With a saying also on the reverse side.

Love the wood butterfly beads!

Something new

Love will carry you through

http://vimeo.com/runwild/leading-edge-runwild-marathon

This video always inspires and motivates me to push through.

Last year I ran this race the day after Kari passed away which was the most difficult day of my life. I thought about not going in the race but staying home would not bring Kari back.

I put on my running gear, had a hearty breakfast and went to the race. I am pretty sure I ran it in a state of shock and on adrenalin. My best friend Drina and I started out together but by about the half way mark we split up. It was an uncommunicated..."Go on Katherine you can do it without me right beside you"....I did do it. I actually talked to Kari the rest of the way telling her "I helped you...now it's your turn to help me". At one point my legs felt like they were going to give out but I pushed through and let the love carry me the rest of the way. It was extremely overwhelming once I approached the finish line...I never imagined that I would be able to run a 10 km race...I did it!!! Tony and Anthony were waiting for me at the finish line and it was amazing......

This year I am running it alone as Drina is unable to. I was disappointed of course when I found out she couldn't come but when I thought about it... I was able to finish it alone last year, I will be able to run it alone this year. Even though I will be alone in body I won't be alone in spirit. I know that Kari and Jayda will be flying beside me..maybe they will even let me hitch a ride on their wings!!!

I have a goal set for tomorrow but if I don't meet it that's O.K. I am proud of myself and what I have been able to accomplish. 

We all have things that we are scared to do or feel we can't do but if we let the love carry us through we can do just about anything you set our minds to.