A Magical Enchantment
Sunrise breathed a mild heat through the Willowland morning blowing in with it Princess Corey in her Midnight Geape. It was time to make our way to the Etchiver Keep, home of Stella Shelley, the friend of her childhood, she with whom was shared all secrets great and small as they grew from girlhood to womanhood.
The Keep is modest on the outside, guarded by her fierce and loyal guardian/mate, Eric. Within the Keep, the glow of translucent Flow Blue dominates and at the center of the glow sat the indomitable Stella Shelley. We had arrived just in time to join in her current mission of the season, the redecorating of her Greeting room.
Blue eyes a match for her Flow Blue collection, Stella Shelley had a vision – white furniture becoming dark, chairs moved left to right. As we stepped through the door, the command to get involved in the activities was issued. Without hesitation we joined her two daughters, the Healermaid, Brit, and the delicate unicorn rider, Garrett. But, of course, being women and I the unknown addition to the mix, it was no time at all before work stopped and conversation began.Princess Corey had promised me that very soon after meeting Stella Shelley, I would completely forget her ALS and the sheer force of Shelley's personality proved this to be true. Every morning Guardian Eric would bathe her, dress her, feed her, and settle her into her chair. Garrett and Brit applied her make-up and brushed her hair. She was ready for her day.
On first meeting Stella Shelley, I saw only a soft cap of pale yellow hair, Flow Blue eyes, and Flamingo pink fingernails. But by afternoon's end, her stillness went unnoticed as the energy of her one moving finger, the toss of her head, the shifting direction of her eyes, and the force of her voice took over.
Stella Shelley is a stylish and upbeat woman. She is:
Engaging
Humor-filled
Courageous
Sharp-eyed and detailed
Her creative vision is
Clear
Intelligent and
Knowledgeable.
For her, dreams are to be made a reality. Her illness may be central to her life but it is pushed to the sidelines.
She
Will NOT
Be
Interfered
With.
TOO SOON THE WONDERLAND IDLE IN WILLOWS ENDED. MYRIAD THOUGHTS FLOATED THROUGH MY MIND LIKE COTTONWOOD FLUFF - LIGHT, INSUBSTANTIAL, IMPOSSIBLE TO GRASP. BUT WITH TIME AND SUSTAINED THOUGHT, THE IMPRESSIONS AND SELF-DISCOVERY FILTERED THROUGH TO BRIGHT SUNLIGHT AND I WAS ABLE TO . . .
. . .ask myself – what sort of choices would I make for the sake of love?
Medical care is unaffordable. What terrible choice would I make? Sell my business or divorce my spouse?
Life is filled with challenges but feels normal, in fact, almost ordinary. Would I accept the loss of a job rather than use my life as proof that I can deal with difficult situations?
Or, would I recognize that TIME is worth any amount of money. Athletic scholarships are only A way, not THE way. Would I recognize that claiming time was the more valued road?
We can't know how we would answer such questions without the experience of being tested by life's fires. We can only guess based on the strength of our own self-knowledge.
I left her that day knowing a little more about myself, thankfully realizing that I did know the difference between pity and sympathy. But most importantly I learned there is nothing that can keep us from living a full and complete life. Life has no limits as long as we love.
Love attracts Love
Our bodies may betray us
But our hearts will grow larger.
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For more views of our August visits with Shelley and for additional links, please visit Lea on this August Harvest Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse!!!!
