Sandcastle in the Waves

The young girl quickly built a small castle from the sand. She formed it quickly, yet it was very sound. The walls held strong against the waves as they beat gently on the sand.

The girl spent the next few years working on the interior. She furnished it with the best that she could find. The furniture was immensely soft. The walls presented exquisite paintings from all over. Each room was separate and apart from all the others. It was as if you were walking to the most beautiful gardens God had ever created.

As the years passed, the girl let people come into her castle. They brought new ideas to her. Their encouragement was inspiring beyond belief. But then, when the girl went out to find the materials for the improvements of her castle...

These people smashed her furniture, tore the paintings from the walls, and worked hard to destroy her hopes. They also drilled tiny holes in the foundation.

When the girl returned she found her castle in a shambles. The damage was endless. The girl was absorbed by the pain. She tried to understand why they had done this. But she couldn't, she couldn't explain why.

With this the girl decided she mustn't let anyone in - for they would destroy all that she had. She spent the next years fixing everything that had been destroyed. When the damage was repaired she went on with the new ideas. Then one day, after the castle enlarged a little, she realized she was out of ideas.

She knew then she must let people in to share their ideas with her. Well, she had met new people. They were different somehow, but she couldn't comprehend what that meant. So she let them in to share with her new ideas and then quickly chased them out.

Over the next years people came and went. The castle grew bigger and bigger. With each new room, the castle became more beautiful. But she never let the people stay for very long.

Then came the year of the storm.

The waves came harder and more often, smashing down on the sand walls. As the water ran down the outside of the walls, the sand began to wear away.

The girl struggled and fought to keep the walls in tact. But soon they began to crack under the pressure. The   people came again offering help.

But she couldn't...

                                    

She couldn't let them in. She was still sure they would destroy the interior. If the waves destroyed the walls and the people the inside, there would be nothing left of her castle.

As she struggled the storm became more powerful. Slowly over that year, her castle was washed away under the waves. She watched each room crumble under the weight of the water. She watched her precious possessions pulled out of sight by the tide.

When the storm calmed and the clouds vanished from the sky, the girl stood alone on the flat sands of her beach. She stood alone listening to the drums of the water as it beat upon the beach in beautiful song. She stood alone looking out to the peaceful serenity of the ocean top. She stood alone lost in-between the sand and the water. She stood alone...

As she stood alone she was engulfed by the loss. Everything was gone... Then she realized she still had her beach. She began looking back to when it all started. Her beach, it had been a gift. Suddenly, she realized what had been different about the people who came later. They were like the ones who had given her the beach. With that, she realized it wasn't the waves or the storm that destroyed her castle. She could have saved it with their help.

As she stood alone on the flat sands of her beach, listening to the sounds of the water rushing up... then back away again... the moon... almost, but not quite full, shown brightly over the dark blue of the ocean top... This was a peaceful night... or so it would appear to anyone who might wander by this beautiful place.

She stood alone for what seemed to be an eternity... looking... listening... crying... the aloneness overwhelmed her. Not realizing it, she fell to the sand and as the drums beat on, she fell into a deep sleep...

As the sun rose, warm with the reds and oranges of a new day, she awoke from her deep sleep. She lifted her head, but the bright light of a new day blinded her and she turned to the water. The blues and greens cascaded for as far as she could see. Little white caps rippled the stained glass picture she saw before her.

Again she stood alone... Again she was engulfed by the loss... Again she began to cry...

One single tear fell to the corner of her mouth... the salt bitter... she wiped her eyes and tried to focus on the picture of blue and green before her. But her eyes wouldn't focus... she could no longer see the white caps... all she could see was a grey-blue blur. Still trying to focus her eyes, she turned to her left.

There, off in the distance, at the edge of her beach she could see something... but what was it? Her eyes still not completely focusing, something was there, but she couldn't quite make it out. She slowly walked in the direction of this thing she saw before her. Again she wiped the tears from her eyes trying to make out what was ahead of her...

Then she realized... she was standing at the beginning of a small path that was being overgrown by bits of grass as the sands of her beach ended... Where would the path lead her? Should she leave her beach? But her castle?

Then she knew... she needed to get away from this beach... away from the pain of losing her castle... she must get away, at least for a little while.

She slowly forced her right foot forward, then her left. And again the right foot... Each step seemed as though she was lifting a million pounds. But she continued on.   As she rounded a bend, suddenly she saw vibrant color before her...

Ahead, lining all parts she could see was a hill. No, better called a mountain. It had crevices lined with bold yellows, oranges and browns. Near the top, every possible shade of green radiated toward her. This mountain, these colors... all seemed to be calling to her... drawing her closer...

Then she knew... she had to start over. She had to begin a new castle. The new castle is not yet finished. But the plans hold a dream to be more beautiful then ever...