Cross-posted at Daily Kos, Booman Tribune, My Left Wing, and Omir the Storyteller
Good morning! Good morning, and welcome to Sunday Griot, and a special welcome to those of you joining us for the first time from Maryscott O’Connor’s wonderful new weblog, My Left Wing. If you’re an old friend seeing us in a new setting, welcome back, and if you’re new, a special welcome! Grab some coffee and a bagel in the back, and then come on up, have a seat and hear another in our series of weekly stories for progressives. Then stick around for the discussion at the end if you’re so inclined.
Today’s story comes to us from Vancouver Island. I learned it from a man named Johnny Moses, and it is the story of Grandmother Cedar.
But even though the cedar tree was great and strong, she was lonely. In fact, she was so lonely that sometimes she felt as though she would drown in her own tears.
And the Creator looked down and said: This is not right.
So he caused a cedar seed to blow upon the south wind, and it settled and took root at the feet of the great and strong cedar. And she looked at the cedar seed as it grew and she said: You will be my grandson, and I shall be your grandmother cedar. And Grandmother Cedar was happy.
And the Creator looked down and said: This is right.
And when the deer would come around to nibble on the tender cedar shoots, Grandmother Cedar would wave her great and strong branches and frighten the deer away.
And the cedar shoot grew into a sapling. And when the wind would blow so hard that the sapling bent so that it thought it would break, Grandmother Cedar would wrap her strong limbs around the sapling to shelter it from the wind.
And the sapling grew into a young tree. And when the sun would beat down upon the little cedar tree, and it was so hot that the little tree was afraid that its skin would blister, and crack and burn, Grandmother Cedar would move her branches to shade the little cedar tree, and keep the sun from burning its skin.
And the little tree grew strong. And when her grandson was lonely, Grandmother Cedar would call out with her strong mind, and cause the birds to nest in her grandson’s branches, and sing to him, and keep him company.
And the Creator looked down and said: This is right.
But then time went on, and Grandmother Cedar began to get old, and her limbs began to break, and she was not as strong as she used to be, and she could no longer move like she once did. And she began to feel old, and useless, and sad, and she didn’t want to live any more.
And the Creator looked down and said: This is not right.
So then her grandson said to her: Grandmother, when I was just a shoot, and the deer would come to nibble on me, did you not wave your branches and frighten the deer away?
And Grandmother Cedar said, Yes, I did. And her grandson said: Now I am great and strong, and I will protect you from harm.
And her grandson said to her: Grandmother, when I was just a sapling, and the wind would blow, and I would bend until I was afraid I would break, did you not wrap your strong arms around me to protect me from the storm?
And Grandmother Cedar said: Yes, I did. And her grandson said: Now I am great and strong, and I shall wrap my arms around you, and protect you from the storm.
And her grandson said to her: Grandmother, when I was just a young tree, and the sun would beat down upon me until I was afraid my skin would blister,and crack and burn, did you not move your great limbs to shade me from the sun?
And Grandmother Cedar said: Yes, I did. And her grandson said: Now I am great and strong, and I shall move my limbs, and I shall shade you from the sun.
And her grandson said to her: Grandmother, when I was lonely, did you not use your strong mind to call out to the birds of the forest, and have them come nest in my branches, and sing to me, and keep me company?
And Grandmother Cedar said: Yes, I did. And her grandson said: Now my mind is strong, and I shall call out to the birds of the forest, and they will come and nest in your branches, and sing to you, and keep you company. You took care of me when I was young, and now that you are old, I shall take care of you.
And the Creator looked down and said: This is right.