EVER so often I come across someone grieving, and I try to comfort them with this little story: In a quiet pond lived a little colony of water creatures. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun, 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, clinging to the stem of a pond lily climbed up gradually and moved out of sight and was seen no more.
They were greatly puzzled. Finally, one of them said, “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 all said solemnly. One spring day, not long after, the very water creature 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. He moved those wings and found himself up above the water. He could fly!
Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air. He felt exhilarated in his new form and by and by he alighted happily on a lily pad to rest. Then it was he chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond.
There were his old friends, scurrying around, just as he had been doing some time before. He remembered the promise and darted down, hit the surface of the water and bounced away. Now, he realized, he could no longer go back. “I can’t return!” he said in dismay. “Even if I could, not one of them would know me in my new body. I guess I’ll just have to wait till they become like me too, then they’ll understand what has happened to me, and where I went. Though I feel sad I can’t tell them how happy I am, and that I can fly!”
So grieve awhile dear friends, but don’t weep too long, because the one whose left you is looking down and soon you will be a new creature too and will join the one who’s gone ahead. And you too will have a brand new body..!
