Gretchen
This is a story of a young girl named Gretchen who at an early age embarked on a dangerous and magical journey out of the silent planet. Being innocent as a child should be she did not understand why she had to leave her home. After all, it was her sanctuary full of joy and bright things. One day when she was playing Gretchen came upon a note blown to her by the wind. The note say, "Please come find me. I am lost in an unfamiliar place. I know not where."
Now Gretchen was a sensitive child. She knew she must embark upon this quest though it would be fraught with danger. So she packed up a few belongings, said goodbye to her mother and father, and started her journey. She followed the path of the wind since it was the one who delivered the letter. On her journey she met three wise men who gave her great gifts to use upon her way. The first gave her Faith so that she would know that her journey had meaning. The second gave her Hope so that she would know that she could reach her goal. The third gave her Love so that she might some day find her way back home. Gretchen being a wise child placed these gifts in her bag so she would not lose them.
What this child of man did not know was the length of her journey. For thirty years she traveled through the wilds of unfamiliar lands meeting people who were so much different from her. Again, being wise, instead of rejecting them for these differences she learned from them. As they gave her knowledge she shared the treasures the wise men gave her.
One day the young lady found herself lost in a desert wasteland. All those who had traveled with her up to this point refused to enter the desolate landscape. So alone she wandered in isolation until her feet bled and tears formed in her eyes. She wondered what she had done to warrant such pain. In her hour of greatest misery when she truly wanted to give up and die, the wise men reappeared. Speaking in a voice of one they asked her, "My child why are you crying?" Gretchen struggled to respond through her tears which poured freely down her face into the parched ground. She responded with both sadness and frustration. "I embarked upon this journey searching for something that does not exist. Now I am alone and stranded far from my home." The wise men just smile and placed their hands and the young lady's shoulders. "No matter where you walk you are never alone. The kingdom of everything is within you as are we. Look down at your feet." Gretchen did as they asked. From her tears a single flower had sprung forth in the dry, cracked earth.
You might ask, "Who is Gretchen?" She is all of us. We walk through this world with a great power to transform our desolate places. Use it wisely.
"Deep in the desert
One flower standing alone
Faith hope and love
Carry me back to my home."
("Ocean" King's X)