The Blanket

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sharikee on August 3, 2015 at 7:26am

The Blanket
There once was a man, who was raising his young son. The mother had passed away in childbirth and he was teaching his son all that he knew. This son, grew up and in time wanted to go to a nearby village and find him a companion. Many months passed and the young man returned to his home, and with him he had a woman, his wife. They lived in the home of his father.

Shortly after, They had a son. And the father, now a grandfather began teaching this young boy all that he knew. How to respect the forest, the animals and life. The mother, tiring of sharing her home with the old man told her husband that she wanted the old man out.

The father spoke "I cannot, this is his home and he built it for us." She spoke "If you do not make him leave then I will take our son and I will leave." The father agreed and spoke to his son. "My son, tomorrow I want you to take Grandpa out and leave him. Give him this blanket." The young boy cried. "Why do you do this? Grandpa has been teaching me all that I know. Why do I have to do this to him?" The father spoke. "Son, follow the wishes of your father." So the next morning, the father went hunting to the North. The son took Grandpa as far as he could walk to the South.

That evening the young boy was sitting on the bed crying when his father came In. He saw the blanket on the bed. "Son, I thought I told you to give Grandpa the blanket?" "I gave Grandpa half of the blanket. The other half, I will give to you some day." The mother and father understood the message. And they went and brought Grandpa back.

Permalink Reply by Tsoi Tawodi on August 5, 2015 at 7:46pm

I don't know that this is a story so much as an experience but it is a story to be told anyway.
When I was a young boy in Oklahoma...in the early 50's we lived on a farm which my dad and his brother had.
My grandma was with us one day and she (Choctaw) could see I was down a bit. When she asked what was wrong I told her that I just didn't see how I could make a difference in the world (I was 7). And here is what she told me:
When you are down in the dumps and think you have no power to make a change or make a difference I want you always to remember this.
Imagine yourself walking here, through the woods of this place and you happen to come upon a shiny rock. You have walked this path many times but never seen this rock, but maybe yesterday it rained and now this was given to you to see....maybe it has been here since the beginning.
So my grandson, you bend down, pick the rock up from Earth Mothers face...wipe off the dirt and look at both sides. Yes, it is beautiful to you and soon you toss it back on the ground and walk off.
It would be impossible for you to put that rock back precisely as it was before you picked it up and wiped off the dirt...would you agree?
I said yes Grandmother.
Even though she was old, she bent down to be eye level with me and said, "Child... You think you have no power, but by picking up that rock and changing it's resting place, you have just changed the face of the Earth Mother forever...and you think you have no power?'
I didn't really understand that lesson until years later.
We do have power. An old Iroquois man once told me that if I did not set my day in motion when I awoke the energies would set it in motion for me and I may not like it.
We do have power, and part of that is the power to see the good ... to be that proverbial 'change we want to see'....to focus on similarities rather than differences.
Never underestimate the power of your love, your smile, you reaching a hand out or just a kind word....yes...we have power.
I have never forgotten this 'story' with my Grandmother....I hope you won't either.
Sidanelai...(we are all family)