When you couldn’t find her she was curled up behind a book!  Lindsay loved reading.  When Lindsay was reading she was very happy, much immersed and deeply enthralled.  Her brother, Erik, wanted to find out about things . . Lindsay wanted to find out about people and the places they lived!  She liked the thick, long and lengthy books best and found it hard to put them down.   

 

Lindsay was very smart at school.  That was a good thing, really, ‘cause sometimes she’d take time out and daydream about the places she’d read about and the people she’d met there.  She’d gaze around the classroom and see if any of her friends looked like the friends she met in her books.  Lindsay was an observer . . . she was a detective of people!  She wanted to find out all about them, where their adventures took them and why.

 

Lindsay knew that people were different colors and spoke different languages.  She wanted to learn every one of these languages so she could talk to people when she went to see them. She knew that in some countries they lived in the hills and had sheep and goats.  In some they lived by the water and had boats.  Some used the boats to fish and some used their boats to travel the seas.  She just wanted to be there and see it all. 

 

Lindsay was able to see how unique everyone else in the world was but didn’t have the slightest idea of her own indelible and giving nature.  She had no idea such beauty lay within that true and loving heart of hers.

 

On this particular day Lindsay came home from school feeling quite annoyed with life.  Every day seemed the same.  She felt bored.  Daddy was always traveling. She wished she could go with him and see all the things he saw.  It seemed quite hopeless to have to go to school every day.  Such a waste when she could be somewhere finding out something important.

 

Today she picked a book at random.  She curled up behind it as she usually did.  This one had the most beautiful pictures.  She became mesmerized and found herself walking through the most amazing garden in Japan.  Japanese people, in beautiful kimonos, were walking through the same garden she was in.  The colors in this garden were something to behold.  Lindsay could hardly believe she was right there amongst the trees and flowers.  One flower really captivated her.  She wasn’t sure if it was blue or purple.  It was a color she couldn’t ever describe.  She found herself sitting down beside this thing of beauty.  Lindsay was in awe.

 

“I can’t believe I’m here,” said Lindsay quietly to herself.

 

“You can be anywhere you want to be, Lindsay,” came a little voice in reply.

 

“How?  What do you mean? ” asked Lindsay quickly.  She knew she was not alone but she couldn’t see anyone.

 

“There’s no such thing as far away you know.” replied the little voice.   

 

“Oh, but there is!” she exclaimed.  “I’m far away now!”

 

“No, Lindsay, you’re right here.  And that’s not far away, is it?”

 

“Well . . I guess not.  I guess I am right here.”

 

“You surely are . . . right here beside all these beautiful flowers while those magnificent high mountains watch over us.”

 

“Those mountains . . . could we go up those mountains?” asked Lindsay wistfully. 

 

“You love adventures, don’t you, Lindsay?  That’s Mount Kurama and of course we can go up!  Take a deep breath, now, and imagine yourself exactly where you want to be.”

 

“Ooooh,” squealed Lindsay as she found herself at the foot of the mountain.  It was Spring and there was a sea of white in front of her that seemed to stretch as far as she could see.

 

“Cherry Blossoms are so beautiful at this time of year” said the wee voice.                Lindsay was enthralled as she seemed to be floating up the mountain.  She felt she was neither walking nor flying.  It was magic.  She could go as fast or as slow as she wanted and it didn’t seem to take any energy.

 

As they were coming to the top of Mount Kurama they could see the roof tops of buildings Lindsay had never seen before.  And as they came to the top she could see many people around and about these buildings.

 

“These are temples, Lindsay, and people come from all over the world to see them and to worship in them. The Zen temples are simple and the Buddhist ones are more ornate but they were all built with love.”

 

“These people here in the temples are prob’ly feeling full of love because they are surrounded by it.  Maybe they’ll take that feeling with them when they leave.  And maybe they’ll share it.”

 

“How?” asked Lindsay incredulously.

 

“By taking a deep breath and imagining themselves right back in the temple.             Remember when you were with that beautiful flower?”

 

“Hmmm . . yeeaaah . . . it was so good . . . ”

 

“Could you share that?”

 

“Yeah . . maybe . . . but I’d have to come back here to do it, though, wouldn’t I?” she asked.

 

“Remember, Lindsay?  There’s no such thing as far away.  You can be here in the blink of an eye!”

 

Lindsay giggled . . .  and then she started to laugh.  “Oh,” she said as she nearly exploded, “I really can come back any time I want!”

 

“You surely can, my sweet and precious little one.  You surely can!”

 

“Oh, this is so good!  Where can we go now?” laughed Lindsay.

 

“Any place you can dream of, Lindsay, we can make real! So you choose and we’ll go!”

 

“Well . .  maybe I’ll go home now and tell everyone where I’ve been and what I saw.  But can we go on another trip soon?”

 

“Anytime you want!  In the blink an eye!  But remember to bring it all back and share it, Lindsay, ‘cause then you’ll really feel glad to be who you are.  It’s you that you’re sharing, Linds, and that’s what it’s all about.”

 

“I’ll never have to be bored again,” giggled Lindsay as she heard Daddy calling her for dinner.  “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.”

 

“Thank you, Lindsay for coming with me.  It was such fun!  Don’t forget!  The blink of an eye and I’m back”, said the little voice. 

 

Lindsay suddenly looked over to the window sill.  That’s where she was!  The most beautiful angel in the world was sitting there smiling.  “Maybe you’d like to write about all the places you and I go, Lindsay . . . maybe that would be fun!” the beautiful angel said as Lindsay smiled at her in absolute awe and watched incredulously as her brand new friend floated in and out of her vision. 

 

“Daddy!  You’ll never guess . . . ” cried Lindsay running to her bedroom door to meet him.  “Oh, Daddy, it was wonderful!”   Lindsay was all smiles as Daddy picked her up and hugged her.  She knew something she’d never known before , , , she really was glad to be who she was.