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On a warm day by the river it happened.
On a warm day by the river it happened.
An old woman, who had been called a "blankedly blank half breed..." by her Mother, sat near an isolated river by her home one warm day. As she quietly sat she observed winged and four legged family members. While sitting she said, 'I wonder why the Creator has not made our winged family members half breeds? I wonder why the Creator has not made our four legged family members quarter breeds? Does the Creator not love his two legged family members as he does his four legged and winged ones?
The old woman knew she began to feel alienated from the Creator. She lit some sage and stood from the stump she had been sitting on and raised her head and arms to the Creator. In her pain she asked, "Why did you allow me to born half of this and half of that? Why did you allow me to be born into a family that would not become carded to prove who I am? Why, why Creator, why? Will you please answer these simple questions I ask?"
Instead of returning to the stump, the old woman felt drawn to the rivers bank where she sat. As she glanced in the water she first saw the reflection of the Eagle over head and she thought, 'How beautiful, graceful and healing you are my winged friend, my family.' She then saw her wolf friends reflection in the river and softly said, "How strong and loyal you are my four legged friend, my family."
Suddenly, she heard the voice, "Look at your reflection in the river." Upon her first glance she saw the left side of her body, that of a white woman and the right side of her body that of an Indian woman. Rather shocked she sat stymied. With her eyes closed the voice said, "You are who I made you to be and I love you just as I love our winged and four legged family members.
"You, unlike them, have a voice for unity for all. I never see parts nor have I ever said I do. I only see the whole, however, one who knows the heart of what it is to experience being of this and that heritage can voice what it means to be whole. Love all of your heritage. Accept all of you."
The old woman sat still for a long time as those words embraced her heart. As she slowly opened her eyes upward to the Creator she said, "Ashoge, Creator for making me who I am, may I be worthy of your love." As she was about to rise from the river the voice finally said, "Look into the river once more."
As the old woman looked into the river she saw her reflection as the Creator had made her. She saw that her heart was not one of parts but of wholeness. She saw that her mind was one of wholeness, not parts. And, with her graying brown hair, olive skin and brown eyes she accepted her white and Indian heritage knowing the Creator loves her in her wholeness.
On a warm day by the river it happened.
CopyrightJanuary© 1999 By ApacheMa
You cannot step twice into the same river, for other waters are continually flowing on.
Heraclitus
The Chang Jiang river is the fourth longest river in the world.
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