Once Upon A Time
foto: johnscutter.com
Once upon a time in a land not so far away there stood a castle on a hill, surrounded by a moat and gardens of flowers with all colors of the rainbow shining forth and giving grace upon the land. Offering their fragrance and their light and never fading, as the weather was always warm. And from this garden there came a voice, well, many voices, of song and dance and otherwise magical blessings. With the wonder of his garden in his heart, the king took daily strolls and talked to all that was around him, complimenting their beauty and thanking them for their generosity. Only one person in the castle did not understand its glory, or appreciate the gift of life the garden offered, and that person was to next become king. So, the current king worried what was to become of his beautiful retreat.
In his search for assurance of its continuing existence, he did what many kings before had failed to do, and opened the gates of his dominion to all, and showed the beauty of its plenty in hopes he could find other caretakers. But it did not take long before throngs of people came to see what had been forbidden before, and this in turn made matters worse – for not everyone respected or acknowledged the trees, flowers and little animals that made this extravagant but peaceful oasis their refuge. And so he closed it all again, unhappy with his plan and not wanting to further risk the sanctity of his treasure.
It came to be that he turned old and weary, and knew his end was near. To satisfy his ever-building fears, he summoned his son, the prince, to his chambers. “Son,” he said, “do but one thing for me when I am gone. Take care of my garden and let me rest forever in its sacred embrace and the kingdom is yours.“ His son was skeptical but agreed. “You can and will have power over every corner of these lands, their riches and its might in battle. But if you ever turn for advice, even from me who will be gone from here, take this to heart. Take care of all that you look after with the same care as I have planting and nourishing these grounds and enjoying their many gifts. By promising to take care and not change its place within your kingdom, you will always have an example of how in life the seemingly small things, often overlooked, should be recognized and valued. It will always welcome you within its walls, and speak to you as it does to me, if you allow it to do so.”
The king knew his son did not understand, but was an honorable man and had to leave it at that, but hoped that one day – hopefully soon – the prince’s eyes might see what his heart always saw. The value of that which stands alone without effort or expense. Beauty, peace and gratitude.