http://www.oberondesign.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=949
Dragonfly Pond A Special Place Of Remembrance
Sometimes those we love open doors for us to journeys that last a lifetime. My father opened one such door for me which led to a lifetime love and passion for reading.
One Sunday while Mother was clearing away the dinner dishes, my father announced that he was going to take me to a magical place. The excitement rose in my chest. Where? Where are we going? I asked as I jumped with anticipation.
“You’ll see.” came his response.
So off we went, me snuggled beside him on the seat of his pickup truck one crisp fall day. We did not drive far, in fact we were still in town. My mind questioned what could be so magical this close to home. We had parked across the street from a large modern brick building, with people shuffling in and out, their arms weighted down with the loads they carried.
“Are you ready?” my father asked.
“Yes, I think I am.” But ready for what I was not sure.
He held my hand, we crossed the street, and into the building’s doors we went.
Once inside I gasped in awe, for floor to ceiling were shelves upon shelves of books. Big books, small books, fat books, skinny books, books old, and books new. I was amazed. “But, what could be so magical about books?” I quietly asked.
My father then told me, “Everything, you ever will want to know something about, someone has written about in a book. Anything that you want to know how to do in life, you will find someone, somewhere has written how to do that thing in a book. Want to take a journey to another land or place? There are words recording the journeys of others written in books just waiting to take you and your imagination on a journey of your own.”
I never forgot my father’s words. I got a library card that day, and each and every year of my elementary school years, I won awards for having read the most books. Many of my journeys through the pages of books were shared with my father. As I grew he would share titles with me that had been favorites of his when he was my age. To this day I am happiest with a book in my hand.
I lost my father unexpectedly in September of 2001. While in the process of losing him, we found out my mother had cancer, and she joined him in death 18 months later. Losing my parents was the hardest pathway I have ever walked in life.
The day that we buried my father a blue dragonfly showed up on our porch, it stayed and stayed for what seemed like a very long time. I would go outside to get some sun and there he would be, as if waiting. I have always loved and collected things with the images of dragonflies on them. My parents always new if they bought me a present and it had a dragonfly on it, the present would go over big time.
Mom, and I discussed the blue dragonfly that seemed to have come to visit. She thought it was the spirit of my father, letting us know that he was still with us. She shared with me a story that she had read, about dragonflies.
She said, “Dragonflies begin their lives as small grubs on the bottom of ponds. They enjoy their life under the water, the other insects, the fish, the occasional frog swimming by, the cattails growing up through the silvery ceiling which is the waters surface above them. One day a grub was consumed with overpowering urge to rise to the surface above him. When he reached the surface, a miraculous transformation took place, he shed his grub skin to reveal beautiful silver wings, and a long brightly colored body. With his wings he found that he could now soar above the pond and experience the warmth of the sun’s rays. He longed to return to tell his other grub friends what lay in the world above their silver ceiling. He tried over and over again to get to his friends he could see below the surface of the water but with his new form he could not get back to their world. He then realized that even if it were possible they would not recognize this new beautiful being he had become.”
Mother spoke further that, we can not see the ones we love who have moved on in death, but this does not mean that they are not with us. They are always with us, just changed into an even more beautiful form, that will always stay near us.
18 months later my mother lost her battle with cancer. She moved on to join my father. A few days after her service was held, I went out to the front porch. To my surprise a blue dragonfly had come again to visit, this time he was joined by a beautiful red one hovering close by his side.
We all have people in our lives whom we have loved, whom have taught us more about life, whom have opened doors to journeys we are still taking, even though they have passed on.
The dragonflies tell us they are always with us. There are three on the Oberon cover, for me they tell me that both my Father and my Mother are always with me, and the third one in the picture reminds me that someday I will have the pleasure of being with them once again.
Oberon Designs is having a contest. They want to hear people's stories regarding their designs as covers for ebook readers such as the Amazon Kindle.
Here is the link regarding the contest.
http://oberondesign.posterous.com/
I have an Amazon Kindle 2. Before my Kindle arrived to me, I had done some research on covers for my new reading device, and I was thrilled to find out that a local company of which I have been a big fan for years was making covers for the Kindle. I had come to know Oberon Designs Leather products because of my father, who was also a local artist. When he was alive, we did many art fairs showing his woodwork, where Oberon was also in attendance, I have owned many of their products for years, so the choice of what would cover my Kindle was easy. I chose the "Dragonfly Pond" cover pictured above.
The story above is my entry into their contest, it tells why this cover is so special to me.
Thank you Oberon Design for having this contest. As I stated previously I have a Kindle 2, your covers are very addictive, in honor of my fathers love of woodworking I hope to someday also add a "Tree of Life" cover to my collection.
Posts
