The Dragonfly

Intention, reflection.

Anticipation, perception.

Inside, outside.

Movement.

These
are the thoughts which flitter through my mind, like dragonfly wings on
the night sky. The dragonfly reminds me of a tale I used to love
reading called The Dragonfly's Tale. It is a Zuni tale about
gratitude and demonstration of appreciation. The Ashiwi, a Zuni tribe,
were blessed with an abundant harvest and took it for granted by
staging a battle--a food fight. This demonstration of unconsciousness
angered the Corn Maidens--the Ancient Ones--who inflicted a famine as
punishment on the tribe. Two children are forgotten behind and, in
their sorrow and hunger, they make a winged being from cornstalks--a
dragonfly.

The dragonfly is released on the wind and flies to
the Corn Maidens and tells them of the plight of these two children and
the Corn Maidens take pity on the children and restores the harvest.
The children, as in many stories, demonstrate "right" behavior and the
elders learn from the young ones.

Tonight I reflect on the
message of reciprocal learning. We must open our eyes and hearts to the
lessons which others, often unexpectedly, bring to us. We must not be
over-confidant in what we have, but must learn to use what we need and
share the rest. Mostly, and this is something I am personally
reflecting on, we must learn to let go of our possessive attitudes, our
expectations, and to cherish what we have and to share that as the gift
it is with others.

The dragonfly is an incredible,
beautifully-painted creature whose message is one of compassion.
Perhaps by finding our own inner source of compassion we will learn to
be more compassionate with ourselves and through that, with others. By
acknowledging my mistakes, my faults, my neediness, I take a step--a
critical step--towards moving behind taking what I have for granted and
learning to appreciate. And in this appreciate, there emerges in me
compassion and in that compassion, I create a gesture of sharing.

The
dragonfly. What an incredible reminder. I have intentions, I reflect
upon these intentions. I am filled with anticipation, I perceive. What
is within me moves outward.