Good morning, my friend!
It would appear the storm has subsided for the moment. I fear we shall not see much of the sun today. But that is all right. The forest comes alive with the rain and everything looks so green as if it were trying to replace the sun in brilliance.
I trust you got some rest under your belt? Good. You are looking a bit more prepared for life.
So, let us begin our introduction to the Shadow.
You have heard of us before, I know. Rumors and whispers of a group surrounded by mystery and myth. This is how we have chosen to portray ourselves because, unlike the others, we care not to disrupt life but instead move with it in harmony as the tide ebbs and flows with the ocean.
You’re particular situation with living inside a tumultuous storm has reminded me of a story. Bear with me a moment so I can tell you and then will we attempt to abate your curiosity.
There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace.
Many artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.
One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.
The other picture had mountains too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell, in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest ... perfect peace.
Which picture do you think won the prize?
The King chose the second picture. Do you know why?
"Because," explained the King, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."
This is what you seek, is it not, my friend? Peace within the storm? This is what we all should strive for. The ability to remain at peace regardless of whatever situation may and will arise.
Ah, that forest is calling to us! We shall visit it.
Let us start simply. What thoughts come to mind when thinking of the word shadow? The world itself, what feelings does it give you?
Darkness. Cold. Fear. The Unknown. A stranger in a back alley, cloaked, hidden. Something elusive and mysterious.
Now, take it one step deeper. Make it more personal.
The Shadow of myself. Secrets, mistakes, pains of the past. Fear of the unknown, of myself, of myself within the world around me.
Why would one be afraid of the unknown?
Because it is unfamiliar, hidden, cannot be grasped and easily understood. One cannot predict the outcome.
Pertaining to this unknown, why would one be afraid of one’s own self?
Because it is an incalculable risk. The unknown has the ability to change us. It is a veil over our lives that blinds us to the future, to the consequences of our actions.
This is the root of why we have come to call ourselves the Shadow.
There is no better word to describe the journey from the known to the unknown. We seek to part the veil that blinds us and grasp the essence of the illusion and uncover the hidden realm. The others seek to either battle the unknown without really understanding it, or control it as they wish to control their own destiny.
The Shadow understand and accept that there are only portions of life to which we could possibly hope to have control. The rest is at fate’s fingertips. That is why we seek to understand the unknown and harness the ability to adapt in any given situation, to whatever may come to pass. We do not yearn to save the world or seek to rule it. We are here to flow with the life force, the unknown, the all and the nothing. For they are one in the same. And we move in harmony with that force.
Are you beginning to see, my friend?