A Surprising New Friend

 Sparky shuffled down the path he’d traveled so many times before. It was a heavily shaded winding trail that he often chose because the trees were very tall and he liked that. There were also places where the sun shined through that were nice and warm. He would stop there usually and have a snack or even his whole lunch. He always packed in a little extra food for this nice long hike. 

 He shuffled carefully down the path through the dark parts of the forest and then through to the light parts. He wasn’t hungry yet so he didn’t stop at the light sunny parts. He got to another dark part of the forest where the trees were very thick and heavy and suddenly he saw something he’d never seen before. It was a small light floating in the air. It was about the size of a candle flame and it even flickered like one.

 Of course he stopped. It wasn’t exactly in his path but it was close enough to him so that it seemed like it was almost being…well…friendly he thought, and so without thinking he found himself softly saying, “Hello.” The candle flame, as he thought of it now, nodded and remained where it was.

 With such an extraordinary event Sparky wondered how far this could go and so softly said, “Could you talk to me, I mean in my language?” Suddenly a loud friendly voice erupted from Candle Flame,“Hello!” Sparky stepped back a little bit and Candle Flame quickly said, “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to speak so loudly.” Thus was started their unusual friendship.

 Sparky sat down on a log just to the side of the trail. He decided maybe this would be a good place to rest. Having a polite nature he quickly invited Candle Flame to rest near him. 

 Sparky loved unusual and different people, places and things so his meeting with Candle Flame was a happy moment. He was excited to see how far they could go in what he hoped could be like meeting someone from another world.

 Sparky said, “I haven’t noticed you here before.” Candle Flame said, “I felt like there was something or someone that needed me. Do you know who?”

 Sparky said, “No, I wasn’t thinking that I needed a candle flame at this time but it is nice. You are providing a nice glowing light that isn’t usually here and I like that.” 

 Candle Flame formed a smile with a slight chuckle and said, “My feeling is similar. I feel that it was a nice thing for you but I feel this glowing light is needed in some other way. This is what I think”, Candle Flame said, “I believe that in your world there are a lot of people and places and a lot of variety. There are other beings - trees of course but also beings you call animals that in other places would just be considered other forms of people.” 

 Candle Flame stopped for a moment and Sparky thought about it. He said, “I’ve always thought of animals as other forms of people so that makes sense to me.”

 Candle Flame went on, “I feel that if called upon I could help to illuminate the darker corners where people don’t see things as they are as compared to what impressions they might have because they can’t see into those places just like if you look off to the sides you can’t see what’s going on in the forest but there’s lots of things, lots of other beings and life is happening in a big way. You just can’t see it.”

 Sparky pondered that for a moment and said, “I never thought about it that way but that makes sense.”

 Candle Flame continued, “I feel I have a mission here but I don’t see how I can accomplish it. Can you help?” Sparky considered that and then said, “What do you feel is your mission? ”

 Candle Flame answered, “I feel that there are places in peoples hearts that need to be illuminated so they can also see with their hearts and feel what is happening in their lives even when they cannot see all they need to see with their eyes.”

 Sparky thought about that for a moment, “Do you mean like noticing things with instinct? I use my instinct a lot when I’m hiking. I pay attention to my feelings because sometimes a trail just isn’t right for me so I take another one.”

 Candle Flame formed a gentle smile and went on, “I feel that these times here on Earth need to have yes, instinct, you’re right but also there needs to be love. I know you cannot love every individual but you can have an overview with instinct and love. I feel that there may be people here who know how to do this and there are also people here, called animals, who know how to do this.” Candle Flame paused for a moment.

 “Oh yes,” Sparky said, “…my dog absolutely knows how to do that. If I’ve had a hard day my dog can cheer me up just by being herself and jumping around being playful. She’ll want me to go outside and play with her and pretty soon I’m happy. My cat is like that too. She’ll look at me and slowly wink and that always makes me smile. Of course it’s the same when Mom and Dad hug me. And also when my girlfriend gives me a hug. That feels especially good.” Sparky smiled at that thought.

 Candle Flame formed a smile in the air and chuckled slightly, “So you do understand. That’s what it takes and I think that I’m going to travel around and try to inspire people with your message as well as my own. If you don’t mind I’m going to use some of your words. Can I quote you?”

 It was Sparky’s turn to chuckle then. He laughed and said, “Absolutely, go ahead.”

 Candle Flame said, “You might see me sometime in the sky as a moving light. Sometimes I’ll go quickly or you might see me just around the corner as a flash of light or you might just see me in a dream. If you do, I’ll be there to inspire you with what we talked about today.”

 “I’d like that”, said Sparky. “And I like it too,” Candle Flame added. They both smiled together in a moment of happiness.

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 May you all have many happy smiles, a happy holiday time and a most benevolent New Year. Goodlife

Beyond the Edges

Bill looked over the edge. He was always afraid to do that because when he looked over the edge he could see all his dreams and it just made him nervous. 

On the one hand he was excited and happy when he saw his good dreams but on the other hand, sometimes he would see those scary dreams and it just made him nervous. 

He’d always been able to look over the edge before he fell asleep but he’d never been able to stop himself from falling asleep just at the point where he could look over the edge. 

He called it looking over the edge because it was that point between being awake or being asleep. There was that midpoint where he could feel himself sinking into sleep and he called that the edge. 

One morning he woke up and he’d had a good dream and he felt relaxed and happy and he just enjoyed those feelings for a while. Then he heard a voice in his head saying, “There is a way you can experience only good dreams.” Bill said, “Who’s that?” And the voice said, “I’m your conscience, I’m also your soul and I have a gift for you.” 

“Really?” Bill thought wonderingly to himself though it felt like part of a conversation. “Yes, really…”, Bill’s conscience replied, “…this is what to do when you’re looking over the edge. You’ve noticed how in the past when you look at your happy dreams they’re always on the right side and when you look at your unhappy dreams they’re always on the left side.” 

“Yes, now that you mention it,” Bill answered. Bill’s conscience continued, “Well, this is what to do. From now on when you look over the edge, look only at the right side and then while you look at the right side, drag it across so that it’s on the left side too.” 

“Is that possible,” Bill asked. 

“Yes, try it tonight when you’re looking over the edge.” 

That night when he laid down for sleep, he didn’t know whether he could even fall asleep because he was excited to try the new way but sure enough when he started sinking into sleep he looked over the edge and he saw his good dreams on the right side and the scary ones on the left side. 

So he concentrated and looked really hard at his good dreams on the right side and he dragged them over to the left side. He was concerned that that would mean that his bad dreams were on the right side but they weren’t there anymore. His good dreams just filled out the whole panorama of his dreams and everything felt happy. He didn’t know what to think but he was sinking and then he was asleep. 

Bill woke up and he was in his dream. It was a happy dream, the one he loved where he’s climbing to the top of the mountain and it was so easy and he got to the top and he could look around in all the directions - he loved that dream. 

He woke up and he remembered that he’d woken up in the dream too. He’d never woken up in a dream. He was awake, he felt, when he was in the dream, he really felt himself doing that. He wondered if there was a message there. He thought about it and he thought about his life.

He was born with one leg slightly shorter then the other and it had been difficult getting around. It wasn’t a big difference but it was enough of a difference so that if he wore regular shoes that his back or his shoulders or his legs would hurt and so he always wore a special shoe which made it feel better. 

He had to be careful to keep his balance though so he never really climbed up any steep hills or even the trail that went up a mesa near where he lived. Doctors told him that it might be risky or it might be possible, they weren’t sure and so, playing it safe he’d never tried. 

Since it was saturday, the day when he went out and did things or saw friends, he decided that he’d take up a friend’s offer and go on that trail and see if he could make it to the top like in his dream. 

He called his friend, Millie, and he told her that today was the day he was going to try the trail with her and she was excited and said she’d bring everything that they needed - water and food - for a picnic on top and that she would either go first or walk behind him, what ever he wanted. He wanted to walk behind her so he could see how she walked and where she put her feet. 

Millie also brought walking sticks for him so he had something to lean on if he needed it. Well, they started out and the first part was very slightly uphill but he leaned on the walking sticks and it was fine. As time went on and the trail switched back and forth as it often does going on a hike, he needed to lean on the walking sticks more and he had to stop and rest a few times. 

Millie said it would be alright and that they didn’t have to go the whole distance if he didn’t want to but Bill said, “I think I have to try to go the whole distance.” She smiled and said, “Okay.” 

They made it all the way to the top. Bill looked around at the top of the mesa and he could see in all directions and for a moment he felt like he was in his dream again and then he looked at Millie, his good friend and she looked at him and warmth and love spread between them. 

They both knew in that moment that their long friendship was finally going to turn into something closer and certainly, it happened. 

Years later Bill realized that the whole purpose of his climbing the mountain dream, was to learn that some risks are okay to take and the whole purpose of him climbing the trail to the top of the mesa with his closest friend Millie and being there with her and looking in all directions - that being there with her in that moment that he could take the risk and go past friendship and that they could be married and live together and dare he say it - yes - to live happily ever after as they have been doing.

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Sometimes you can go beyond your limits and live happily ever after. Happy Thanksgiving and goodlife to you all.