Chapter 7
One day a young native American boy approached his grandfather. Now his grandfather was chopping wood. The old man wiped his brow and placed the ax in a st.u.r.dy stump.
The boy walked closer as an earthy smell filled his senses. "Grandfather, may I speak with you?" The boy asked and held in a breath.
The grandfather nodded while staring at the ax. "Of course Mi'ho'mi'in." The Grandfather sat down on the stump in front of the ax. "What is on your mind?"
Mi'ho'mi'in looked down. He began to fiddle with his hands. "It is just that I am not very good at shooting arrows, hunting, or other things the other boys can do."
"Listen people's abilities change over time. Even if now seems hopeless, you have to work at it constantly. The first Bowman did not always..h.i.t his target. He learned to be consistent. But still, sometimes the bowman does miss. People become legends because they worked at it. No one can pick something up and automatic be good at everything. But that does not mean they are bad at it. No one individual is truly bad at something until they have given up." The grandfather finished owlishly looking around.
"But grandfather you are not listening," Mi'ho'mi'in cried.
The grandfather sighed and brought his hands up to rub his temple. "Meet me at the edge of the village when dusk comes. "
"Alright," Mi'ho'mi'in spoke, and then walked away.
The Grandfather shook his head. He frowned watching his grandson leave. "Life has a lot still left to teach if only they would listen." He stood up and turned around. The grandfather then grabbed the ax and went back to chopping wood.
When dusk fell, the grandfather had completed his duties with the wood and proceeded into the village. He spotted Mi'ho'mi'in waiting for him.
Mi'ho'mi'in turned every direction nearly missing his grandfather.
The Grandfather stopped right before Mi'ho'mi'in. "Follow me," the grandfather stated as he walked away.
Mi'ho'mi'in followed his grandfather puffing out his cheeks.
They left the village and wondered to a place with spa.r.s.e trees and fine dirt. The sky suddenly turned darker.
Stars one by one twinkled into existence. One star, in particular, kept blinking. One moment it would s.h.i.+ne, the next it would dull. Then the star would s.h.i.+ne brightly only to fade into a dark patch.
The grandfather pointed to the blinking star that kept fading in and out of existence. "That is Lumi the star guide for those who want to give up. It is a guide for those who think they are not worth the grains they stand on."
Mi'ho'mi'in nodded, "but it is not part of any constellations."
The grandfather withdrew his finger and thought. "It doesn't need to
"Okay," Mi'ho'mi'in nodded and perched his lips.
"One day Lumi the fading and s.h.i.+ning star was born. The mother Luminary was so happy to have something special finally. You see she bore stars that shone brightly. She bore stars who were dim and could only be seen on select nights. She bore stars that fell. But she never before bore a fading star who could outs.h.i.+ne the others. So she placed it in the sky next to the glowing moon. The moon nodded in approval, while the other stars mocked and outcast it.
Lumi began to feel doubtful. She wanted to s.h.i.+ne brightly always. She wanted to be a part of their greatness without achieving or realizing her own.
After a few months, she dimed completely.
The mother Luminary worried about her child, visited Lumi. " what is the matter," mother Luminary implored.
"I can not s.h.i.+ne," Lumi mumbled to her mother
"Have you tried to s.h.i.+ne?" Mother Luminary enveloped her child in her arms.
Before Lumi could speak for herself, the moon spoke up. "Mother Luminary, mother of the dark sky. Your child tried to s.h.i.+ne. In the beginning, she tried and tried, but to no avail. She does not s.h.i.+ne like the rest and believes that is a crime."
Mother Luminary brought a finger to her chin releasing Lumi. "Hem, perhaps you are not meant to s.h.i.+ne like them. Maybe you are meant to s.h.i.+ne like yourself."
"What does that mean," Lumi cried in alarm. "I want to s.h.i.+ne like them! I can not s.h.i.+ne as good as them! Isn't the point of a star to s.h.i.+ne!?"
"Lumi my child, not every star s.h.i.+nes the same. If most stars do, that does not reflect your possibilities. Yes, the star is supposed to light the skies at night. It is supposed to guide. But you are the star they can look up at when all is lost. The star they can believe that fought battles with the great evil one. The star that when it dims, it weeps with them. The star that when it s.h.i.+nes, it is pressing forward. You move with them in their hearts."
"You see that warrior way down there." Mother Luminary pointed to a young native American wandering around. His head turning every which way as he searched the sky."
"s.h.i.+ne for him," The Mother Luminary commanded.
"I can't," Lumi whimpered.
"If you do not s.h.i.+ne, he will never find his way home, and he will die. You mark the place where his village is. "The Mother Luminary pointed at Lumi.
"Other stars s.h.i.+ne brighter than me," Lumi remarked to Mother Luminary.
"Yes a million stars s.h.i.+ne brighter, a million stars can guide. But you are the only one who can do this. It doesn't matter how brightly they s.h.i.+ne, or how long they s.h.i.+ne. You are the only one capable of leading him back. You, in the sky, are the one-star he so desperately seeks. It does not matter how dim you think you are. You s.h.i.+ne for someone. Someone aspires to be you." The Mother Luminary patiently spoke to Lumi.
"Are you sure," Lumi question the mother Luminary.
The mother Luminary nodded.
Lumi tried hard, she thought hard. She squeezed her star parts and s.h.i.+ned like ever before. But before she could get too excited, she dimed down. "It can't; I can't." Lumi faltered dimming out completely.
"Try again but this time look at the warrior and listen." The Mother Luminary walked away fading into the sky.
Lumi lit her self up. She looked down at the warrior and opened her heart.
The warrior cheered when she blinked out of existence. "Please guide me. I know not the battle you face. I know not the foe you defeated, but I need you to continue doing what you do. Guide me."
"Lumi shone brighter after hearing his words, and when she dimmed part of her light could still be seen. What I am trying to say is like Lumi counted on Mother Luminary, Like the warrior who counted on Lumi. We will one day count on you. So until that day practice s.h.i.+nning. You are doing good. You just need a little encouragement."
Mi'ho'mi'in nodded looking at the Lumi star. He and his grandfather sat there for some time in silence before heading back to the village.
While they were heading back Mi'ho'mi'in asked, "Who was the warrior?"
The grandfather was silent for a moment before answering, "No one knows