The Precious Gift

The Precious Gift

Once upon a time there were two people who lived on a beautiful green and blue planet. Each was raised in another part of the world, they spoke different languages, went to different schools and their lives were unique, for all but one thing, each had the same hope. One man was a poet, the other a painter.

These people grew into men and began to experience life as men in the world, each had heart ache and each had pain and both had moments of intense joy and made their way in the world and around the world. Each carried the seed of hope deep within their soul. The each wished they would find a safe place for that seed to be planted and for it to receive the nourishment that it needed to germinate and grow.

Each of these men harbored the secret of the seed of hope and sought out the safety of the person with which to share in that hope. Many a time each was disappointed as the seed did not take, the soil was to dry or the risk to high, but still each one knew that the right time would come for them to plant.

It took nearly four decades of carrying this seed around before they each had the rare chance to have the true love, safety and security of another who was ready to plant the seed both in them and with them and to tend the seeds together. They met one day and there was an immediate recognition of the other.

Now the world was a different place from the time that the seeds of hope were given to these two very unique individuals, and there were influences on both sides that did not believe that a seed such as this existed let alone would grow in either of them. Unfortunately, each of the men on some level listened to the outside rather than the wisdom of their heart which knew the truth. The seeds speak very softly, which is why man ydo not hear them or know they have them…eventually the seeds wither and die inside the soul of those who do not believe or are filled with disbelief and have forgotten the laughter of a child or that there is still a wondrous child in them with and immense capacity to love

One painter grew quiet and could not express how he was feeling and tried to push the poet away. The poet sensing the discomfort of the painter tried to figure out what to do but rather and discuss the situation as he normally would he listened to those that told him to keep quiet. They said these seeds did not and could not exist let alone grow. Each one of them lost faith and began to seek the reasons it could not happen rather than the reasons that it could

However, there was a shared truth between the men, which in the quiet, with no other influence each knew to be true. It may not have been spoken but each knew that they were loved and could love the other and the garden they could grow from these seeds would bring forth a lifetime of beauty and flowers, laughter, family and shade for children.

First came doubt, discomfort and disease and insecurity as each listened to the voices of the others who did not have the seeds these men had, nor did they possess the truth about the character and the depth of the poet or the painter or the richness of their souls or the quality of their love for one another. The outsides voices were loud, they were harsh and they drown out the quiet voice of each man until he could not hear the voice of the seed in his heart and soul. There came a fork in the road where these two rare men had to make a choice. Should one go left, and be alone, the other right and be alone, or together walk a middle ground.

The poet turned to the painter and finally finding his own voice said, my love; there is no greater gift than the time I have been given with you. I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable, or if I hurt you in any way. I am sorry that I failed to trust my own heart and know the truth that I have known from the beginning. That truth being I trust you with my life and with my hope. I know with all of my being that there is love in you for me and only hope you will give me the chance to show it to you. I can not change where I have been, what I have in my life and what I have not. I can promise to always make you comfortable, give you the freedom to tend your own garden as I tend to mine, to provide refuge and safety for your soul and to help you grow your garden, if you will allow me and tell me what your needs are.

The painter answered…..(It is up to you to finish the story)