A young boy strolled along the beach early on a sunny day.

His eyes and his spirit drank in the ocean waves, the warm sun, the blond sand, and the nearby plants and trees further from shore. The unseen creatures in the distant sky above and beneath the earth and water were his friends.

As he walked, he carried in one hand a small book, from which he occasionally paused to read. The book was another of his friends. It told a beautiful story. Both the story and the life around him helped him to understand who he was.

While it was still morning, as he paused to read a page from the story, he happened to gaze into the blue sky and saw a single cloud drift above him. He pondered it a moment, and just as he was about to resume reading, a large bird swooped down toward him from the cloud.    Continue reading →