When Firefly Forest was still in it's infancy I routinely responded to notes left at the tree by children. When I recieved little Ashlyn's note, I simply could not resist. On Ashlyn's birthday, I happily delivered an acorn neckalace wrapped in burlap with a letter addressed to her and secretly wished I could be there to see how she reacted. As the Forest would have it, I got to witness the next best thing.
A few days later I was walking on the trail when I noticed an odd commotion moving toward me. When I say commotion, what I really mean is a herd of darling 6 year old girls, talking and giggling in unison. If you've never had the privilegde of witnessing this scenario in the wild, trust me when I say that it's definately a commotion.
Because I could see that I was about to be overtaken, I stepped off the trail and let these little ladies pass. Although I couldn't really make out what they were saying, there was something about "cute shoes". . . mani-pedi's . . . a birthday party . . . and then I heard it . . .
Ashlyn. I was officially captivated. I fell behind the group and listened as Ashlyn excitedly told her friends about visiting the trail with her daddy, leaving a note, and recieving a response. She was bringing her friends to meet R.T. and felt certain that they would be able to find her elusive friend.
What you have to remember is that I have boys. And while my boys are absolutely amazing, they don't squeal with delight . . . ever. They don't giggle or talk about their nails or shoes or talk at supersonic speeds. So, for me, watching these girls was an absolute delight. It made me feel happy. I casually struck up a conversation with Ashlyn's mom as the girls searched for R.T. and got to hear, from a mother's perspective, about Ashlyn's experience.
This is one of the ways that Firefly Forest attended to me while I was suffering. What began as my gift to Ashlyn became Ashlyn's gift to me, made possible by the spirit in the Forest. It was experiences like this one that fueled the magic in Firefly Forest.
"Share of yourself and let them all see, the power of kindness, just as the Fireflies have done for me."
Keep the magic alive. Share The Gnomist directed by Sharon Liese with someone you love.