forest dream

(photo borrowed from this guy)

When the girl awoke, she found herself in a snowy forest. Surprisingly warm and unafraid, she wandered among the trees, listening to the birds, catching glimpses of the foxes and squirrels and sensing the occasional rustle of deer foraging in the brush. 

Hearing a faint whimper, she turned in the direction of an enormous tree, the rugged bark of its massive trunk dusted with snow. The ancient fir towered over the smaller trees around it. This sentinel of the forest and protector of  innocent and vulnerable creatures was harboring something. She moved toward it, her feet making crunching sounds in the snow.

It was a young boy, crouched in the sheltering roots of the old tree. Eyes closed, he was sniffling and shivering. "Who are you?" she asked. No reply. Just the chattering of teeth. His head was lowered, and fear stiffened his limbs. "Are you lost?" she said gently. He looked up into her eyes, and she saw in them a darkness of such depth she had never before seen. He was so frightened he couldn't speak at first. When he realized she was not going to hurt him, he whispered haltingly, "I don't know. It's all so strange. I'm so lost and afraid. Everything is dark and I don't know what to do." She gathered him up in a warm embrace to comfort him, and he slowly relaxed in her arms with a deep sigh.

"Aren't you afraid?" he asked. "Why are you so calm?" 

"Being afraid is like digging a hole for yourself, climbing in, and then covering yourself with dirt so evil cannot find you," she explained. "But neither will good. You must open your heart to the world and notice everything, the good and the evil. For you cannot have good without evil, success without failure, noise without quiet, kindness without cruelty. By burying yourself in fear, you have only fear. There is no chance for happiness or love or peace to find you."

"You must be here now, in this moment, in this life," she continued, "For this moment will pass soon enough, and a new moment will be born. This is life. This is all there is. There is bad, yes--but there is also always good." 

She smiled, and said, "Come on, let's see what the foxes are up to in the meadow."

Just then the sun broke through the clouds, sending rays across the sparkling snow, and with that, she took his hand and led him out of the forest.