The dragon's gift.

Challenge is a dragon with a gift in its mouth...
Tame the dragon and the gift is yours. Noela Evans

Years ago, while walking with Ellie one day in the woods after a rain storm, she ran ahead and before I could stop her, threw herself into a huge mud puddle and wallowed. And I mean wallowed. Head to toe, her shaggy coat was covered in mud. And boy, was she happy.

At that point there wasn't much I could do but laugh. To witness such pure joy in action was a delight. Making sure she didn't shake herself off too close to me, we carried on our way, running along the trail, leaping logs, skirting bushes. I figured if I kept her moving fast she wouldn't have time to 'fall' into any more mud puddles. Though why I was worried about any more mud on her coat is beyond me!

As we ran I sang and whistled and ensured I made lots of noise. It was just Ellie and me in the woods, and who knows what monsters of the fire throwing kind were all around.

We got to the top of the trail where the river along which we ran flowed into big deep pools of ice cold water. I threw sticks into the water for Ellie, she splashed into the pool and voila! Her coat was clean.

Eventually, it was time to turn back. Wanting to ensure she didn't accidentally fall into that puddle again, I kept her by my side as we ran down the trail. So concerned about her not getting muddy, I wasn't watching my footing and slipped on a steep part of the trail, landed on my butt, slid down the hill, arms flailing, spinning as I went. Ellie thought it was a game and chased after me. Leaping around me as I slid, she barked and barked until I landed in a heap at the bottom of the slope in... you guessed it... a big mud puddle.

Winded, I lay there for a moment to catch my breath. I surveyed the damage. Nothing broken. Nothing wounded (except my pride). And I was covered in dark oozing mud.

Ellie was so delighted she kept trying to get into the mud puddle with me. I kept pushing her back which didn't do much for keeping the mud off her coat. Finally I relented and she came and lay beside me, her entire body quivering with delight as she wallowed in the mud.

I lay there for a moment and thought about what had just happened. I had been running in the woods as if I was blind. My eyes and thoughts were on the road ahead. I had been trying to avert disaster and not been watching where I was putting my feet.

Where else in my life did I do that? Keep my focus on what I didn't want to have happen rather than live in the moment of what was happening?

It was my own personal dragon of fear. In my minds eye, I saw the dragon. The beast I wrestle with every day as I struggle to find the road less travelled while fearing the road I'm on. The road less travelled is the road to my higher good. It's the road above the everyday fear of being exposed, being vulnerable to the winds of change. It's the road the dragon fears. He's afraid of heights and is terrified I might get hurt running into the wind.

On that day I lay on the ground and imagined myself in front of my dragon. I had a sword and shield to protect me from the fire he kept breathing every time he tried to tell me what to do. I wanted desperately to slay that dragon. To pummel it into submission. To make it go away. I was covered in mud -- and everyone knows mud keeps fire from burning! So, I decided now's as good a time as any to kill my own personal dragon.

I held up my shield. Thrust out my sword and leapt towards the dragon's throat. With one mighty thrust I pierced his throat.

I expected my dragon to crumble. To fall to the ground writhing in pain as he took his last fire-laden breath.

But no such thing happened. As the fire died, the dragon turned into a beautiful white dove. She had been living within his fiery depths. She had always been there waiting for me to quit fighting fire with fire.

My dove flew towards me and landed on my left shoulder. In my minds eye, along with my sword and shield, I carry her with me always. A dove to remind me that the path to harmony is always taken in love and peace. A sword to cut through pain and sorrow to find the gift within. A shield to protect me as I weather the storms of life, always safe beneath my shield's protective cover.

I had forgotten about that incident and my moment of revelation as I lay on that trail. Until I read the quote above this morning. And was reminded, there is a gift in every challenge. A gift to be found not by killing the dragon, but by embracing the fire and accepting the gift with open arms.

Nameste.