The Gift Of The Gods     It was a warm summer day when the gods placed it in her  hands. She trembled with emotion as she saw how fragile  it appeared. This was a very special gift the gods were  entrusting to her. A gift that would one day belong to  the world. Until then, they instructed her, she was to  be its guardian and protector. The woman said she  understood and reverently took it home, determined to  live up to the faith the gods had placed in her. 
  At first she barely let it out of her sight, protecting  it from anything she perceived to be harmful to its  well-being; watching with fear in her heart when it was  exposed to the environment outside of the sheltered cocoon  she had formed around it. But the woman began to realize  that she could not shelter it forever. It needed to learn  to survive the harsh elements in order to grow strong.  So with gentle care she gave it more space to grow... enough to allow it to grow wild and untamed. 
  One day she became aware of how much the gift had changed.  It no longer had a look of vulnerability about it. Now it  seemed to glow with strength and steadiness, almost as if  it were developing a power within. Month after month she  watched as it became stronger and more powerful, and the  woman remembered her promise. She knew deep within her  heart that her time with the gift was nearing an end. 
  The inevitable day arrived when the gods came to take  the gift and present it to the world. The woman felt a  deep sadness, for she would miss its constant presence  in her life. With heartfelt gratitude she thanked the  gods for allowing her the privilege of watching over  the precious gift for so many years. Straightening her  shoulders, she stood proud, knowing that it was, indeed,  a very special gift. One that would add to the beauty  and essence of the world around it. And the mother let  her child go.   
  Renee R. Vroman
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