Once upon a time, in a beautiful crystal pool,
lived two waterbugs. They were the closest of friends!
They played together, they buzzed together. Why! They
did everything that waterbugs can do together!
One lazy, hot summer day, they noticed a few of the other
waterbugs climbing onto a water lily, floating gently on top
of the lake. They began to notice that after the waterbugs
rested a moment or two in the water lily, they would wander
over to the edge and disappear on the other side.
The two friends were very curious, wondering where the
other waterbugs had gone and what might have happened
to them. They couldn't ask the waterbugs who had disappeared
over the side of the water lily, for none ever returned to tell the story.
As they pondered this mysterious happening, the two friends
made a pact. They promised each to the other that if one of
them ever disappeared over the side of the waterlily, he would
come back to the cherished friend and tell of the wonders that
lay on the other side.
Many months passed, and the friends played and buzzed and
enjoyed the life they had been given.
One day, one of the waterbugs went up the waterlily and
over the edge. In an instant, he turned into a beautiful and
graceful dragonfly! He was in amazement of his splendor
and flew around happily! His body was so light!
His movement so free!!
But then he remembered the long-ago pact he made with his friend.
He was supposed to return to the crystal lake and tell his friend
what lay beyond the water lily.
Several times, he tried to go back into the lake.
But, try as he might, he could not go back into the water.
Finally, he gave up.
He knew even if he went back to tell his friend, his friend
would not recognize him in his new body, and since he
became a dragonfly, he did not communicate in the same
language as before. These thoughts saddened the
dragonfly even more.
Then one day, as he was resting on a nearby flower,
thinking of his friend, it occured to him!
He would see his friend again!
He would see his dearly loved friend,
when the friend crossed over the
side of the water lily
and became a dragonfly too!!
Dedicated to my cousin, Sydney Faye
*1952 ~ 2001*
Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens;
and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
Thy righteousness is like the great mountains;
thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou
preservest man and beast. How excellent is thy
loving kindness, O God! therefore the children
of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
~Psalm 36:5-7~