Grandma Oak- Short story

Every night at midnight, the purple clouds came out to dance with the blushing sky. A sight Isabel loved to witness. Isabel hummed as she danced through the meadow, feeling the wind gracing her skin and brushing through her long brown hair. The wildflowers were out, illuminating the meadow with an ocean of scents and a palette of colours and textures. Isabel came here every evening just before sunset to be with nature. Wearing a white and pink long daisy dress and dirty bare feet, she made her way to her favourite place. To Grandma Oak tree, who was rooted at the end of the meadow just at the entrance of the woodland.

Grandma was an ancient angel oak tree. It was estimated that Grandma Oak was around 800 years old, and Grandma wasn’t just a tree. She was a spirit of life and a mystical wonder to Isabel, who spent many days there connecting and sharing all her woes.

Grandma’s branches were extremely large, almost 200 feet long. The draping limbs and wide spreading canopy created a perfect place for Isabel to rest. She’d lie on one of Grandma’s gnarled branches with her bare feet buried in the soil and leaves beneath and an arm behind her head, gazing up at the array of twisted branches. Isabel would share her curiosity about life with the tree’s wisdom. She was always full of questions and concerns about life.

“Grandma, are we all connected?” If so, why can’t I hear you? “Can you hear me?” Isabel asked.

She inhaled a deep breath, and a warmth appeared in the middle of her chest. The warmth was comforting, and a tear fell down her cheek. Isabel no longer felt alone. Her awareness of her surroundings was amplified, and she felt at one with everything. Isabel looked back at the meadow. She saw the butterflies pollinating and a family of squirrels entering the woodland. She noticed the unique shapes of the trees’ leaves and mushrooms surrounding the stump. Colours were more vivid, and although Isabel had seen colours before, this felt like she was truly experiencing what colour was. At that moment, Isabel didn’t feel alone. She couldn’t hear Grandma Oak, but she could feel her. Isabel felt surrounded by a sea of love and connections. For the first time, she wasn’t just experiencing creation; she was witnessing creation and the miracle that surrounded her. Her eyes and heart were open, and the warmth in Isabel’s chest spread through her body, and Isabel felt at peace.

Isabel realised she had spent many days questioning and not enough time just being present. She closed her eyes and just listened to the melodies of life that surrounded her. She heard the rhythm of the birds’ chirping and felt the vibrations of the buzzing bees. She noticed the way the wind moved through the trees and how it interacted with the leaves and flowers without any resistance. Isabel’s definition of harmony was to live without resistance.

Isabel jumped to her feet with such excitement, and said to Grandma Oak, “Earth is an orchestra of instruments, and I’m a musical note contributing to the song of life.”

With a smile beaming from ear to ear, Isabel danced around Grandma Oak. She synchronised her movements with the flow of the wind. With her arms spread, Isabel learned what it felt like to fly. To be at one with the flow of life. She let the wind carry her and lead the dance.

A wave of happiness spread across the meadow and woodland, and Isabel swore she heard the flowers giggle. The meadow brought out the innocence in Isabel, because her innocence was always tied to her curiosity about life and learning it all through the teachings of Mother Earth.

A warmth of love shivered through Isabel’s core. It was a shiver of unconditional love, a sacred love, a final spur of wisdom from Grandma Oak. A lesson in how connected we all are. We share the same secrets and the same beautiful moments. The nurturing energy of the beaming sun and the protection of the mysterious moon. We live in a moment, witnessing creation through a window of time. Isabel had returned to the true nature of life. Any tension and resistance felt inside Isabel was gone. She witnessed how simple and peaceful life is.

Isabel thanked Grandma Oak for her time and wisdom with a hug and kiss.

She whispered to Grandma Oak, “The sun is setting and I need to get back for food.” I’ll be back at midnight and we’ll watch the stars and the purple sky together.”

Isabel left, but on her way back to her cabin, she observed her surroundings with a new perspective. She was finally witnessing the blessing of life. She could smell all the unique scents that surrounded her. She witnessed the geometry of nature with all its unique shapes and sizes. She could feel the warmth in the wind and the dampness building in the atmosphere. At that moment, she knew rain was coming. Her senses were always connected, except she was never connected to herself.

Isabel became aware of her own life. She has her own shape, and she too has a scent, a frequency of sound, and a palette of colours. With trillions of cells communicating and working to support her life, atoms, nerves, and blood pumping through her veins. For the first time, she felt like a miracle. She never knew the feeling or emotion of experiencing herself as a miracle, and she burst out in tears with no words that could have described the moment.

Isabel always spoke about travelling to experience life. That day, she finally learned a powerful lesson: life is always present and to be experienced. She just needed to tune in, and when she did, Isabel found that life was also experiencing her. It was a world of magic she always knew. Isabel realised that she didn’t need to travel; she just needed to let in the environment by opening her heart to it. She went home with a new outlook on life and an appreciation for the finest and most intricate details found in nature. With thanks to the wisdom held by Grandma Oak and the unconditional love of Mother Earth.

K

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