“When people are willing to look at evil deeds for what they are and forbid them, then evil can’t hide anymore.”
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CONTINUED from Life Lessons – Truth and Autumn Dreams
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“Your grandmother Meda used to bring me to this place when I was a very young girl. We could talk about anything here.”
My mother’s mother, Meda, left this world before I was born. She was a full-blood Shawnee Indian, the daughter of my majestic great-grandparents whose keen eyes still watched over us from their tintype photograph high on our living room mantle.
Instinctively proud of my Native American heritage, I felt honored to be part of a ritual she had once shared with my mother on that giant rock overlooking the stream in the hidden woods . . .
And there, in the refuge of Mama’s understanding, the last shreds of distress from my nightmarish visions of a bleeding boy and starving children and the face of their unholy father were purged.
“I don’t want to believe in monsters and scary things in the night like other kids do, Mama.”
Her response was calm and earnest.
The Truth About Monsters . . .
“There are monsters in this world, Trudie Beth. That’s a fact. But people don’t want to see them.
“The goodness of human nature makes it hard to look at evil’s face. So people make up stories about monsters instead.”
While I cogitated that, she added, “Sometimes they do it for fun.”
That made me smile, so she went on.
Painting by Michael Lang
“A spirit with an animal body that people might call a monster is predictable, if you know the habits of its kind. But animals never think they act like monsters. Same with monsters who look human.”
She had my rapt attention.
“On earth, the most dangerous monsters hide behind human faces. They are terrified spirits who feel they can only survive by devious ways, and strike unseen. They think what they do is right and necessary to protect themselves. But they work to destroy any happiness around them.”
My mother waited for me to ask why, and when I did, she answered.
“Happiness doesn’t fit in the world they see. To the dangerous ones, there is only danger. They lost their own dreams long ago and forgot their way, so other people’s happiness is strange to them. Threatening. Too powerful.
“Evil never trusts. To the mind of evil, everyone is evil.”
“But how do we fix it?” I begged to know.
“When people are willing to look at evil deeds for what they are and forbid them, then evil can’t hide anymore. It loses the only power it has – the power to mask its intention to do harm.”
She was speaking in her own words, but the truth she spoke was timeless. And in that mystic instant, I distinctly sensed the presence of Gabriel White Cloud Walling, there in the woods with us.
Native American Spirits, Life Journey . . .
My mother spoke the wisdom of the Ancestors — secrets from beyond Earth, carried on the four winds by grandfather spirits through countless generations. And as with Mister Walling’s wisdom, the meaning of her words cleared a portal to my perceptions, letting blindness give way to knowledge.
Certainly her simplistic explanation raised more questions than it answered, and I would see evil at work in many ways as my life went on.
But ever since Mama shared her truth with me, I’ve never been afraid of a living, breathing monster. And no fairytale, or ancient myth, or campfire story or worldly threat I would ever encounter could shake my certainty.
As for the nightmare, I didn’t let it influence me too much. And rightfully so . . .
Yet my nightmares had been so real, but so foreign to my own experience, I had to wonder just whose visions I was tapping into.
~
Excerpts from the novel HAVENWOOD TALES Beginnings
by D.J. Houston, Author
Copyright©2010, 2012 D.J. Houston. All Rights Reserved.
Paranormal Stories – Intrigue – Life Journey – Inspirational Stories - Mystery Novels
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Profound truth so beautifully spoken! Makes me cheer and shout inside!
I’m happy this inspires you, Sir Knight. Truth is truth if it’s true for you.
Thank you for visiting Havenwood. You are a wise and loyal friend
So much truth in so small amount of words, well done!
Thank you, Miss Sharon! It’s good to have a kindred spirit such as you for my friend.
The ancient truth of the Ancestors requires few words.
[...] Sprinkled with shadows of leftover leaves in the bare autumn branches that filtered the sunlight above us, we soaked in the splendor of that golden afternoon together [...]
Such a beautifully crafted tale with a meaningful message, thanks for sharing this.
A pleasure to have you in Havenwood, Miss Susan! Your beautiful fine art carries quite a meaningful message for us, too
Your Friend,
Trudie Beth McAfee – Narrator HAVENWOOD TALES
Whoa!! More! More!!
This is totally awesome, exciting, enlightening and profound! If I could keep on reading all day, I would do it!!
Thanks so much for the GIANT grin on my face!
It’s what happened, Miss Sally. I was a very lucky person to have Mama.
It was sure exciting to see the GIANT grin on my author D.J. Houston’s face when she read this awesome note from you!! Thank you for being such a loyal reader!
Your True Friend,
Trudie McAfee – Narrator HAVENWOOD TALES
That’s what life is all about, Trudie. Sharing the smiles!
And I’m all smiles just reading this comment string! : )
Hi Mister Lem! You always make me smile
Your Friend Trudie
Thank you for the amazement you bring to my life, D.J. This story of good and evil is profound and moving.
You’re really onto something. I will be proud to own every volume of Havenwood Tales!
Best Wishes,
Zandria
Dear Zandria,
I’m very proud to convey your message to D.J. Your appreciation of the Havenwood Tales she writes about my journey moves us both very much!
Your Friend Trudie McAfee – (the person it happens to)
Narrator of HAVENWOOD TALES
Bravo, as usual! Keep ‘em coming
My author D.J. thanks you for your loyal encouragement, Miss Klagenberg! And so do I. You make me want to tell her more and more stories to write