Once upon a time,
In a quiet pond,
Far from cities and roads,
Lived a little lotus flower.
She was very small,
With soft pink petals and a tender green stem.
Every morning,
She opened her petals and greeted the golden sun.
The birds would sing,
And the breeze would whisper through the tall grass.
The dragonflies danced above the water,
And the fish made circles beneath the surface.
It was peaceful,
It was home.
But still,
The little lotus felt something missing.
At night,
When the sun disappeared and the sky turned dark,
The stars came out to play.
And then,
Rising above the trees,
The moon appeared,
Soft,
White,
Silent,
Shining.
The lotus looked up and whispered,
I wish I could shine like the moon.
Each night,
She watched the moon.
She admired its stillness,
Its brightness,
Its beauty.
She dreamed of floating in the sky,
Surrounded by stars.
Her friends,
Other lotuses in the pond,
Would talk and hum together.
Come,
They said,
Come play with us,
Let's tell stories and sing.
But the little lotus always said,
No,
I want to be alone,
I want to understand the moon.
The others smiled kindly,
They didn't mind,
They let her dream.
One night,
A frog came hopping across a lily pad.
Hello,
Little lotus,
He said.
Why so quiet?
The lotus asked softly.
Frog,
Have you ever touched the moon?
The frog laughed.
Touch it?
Oh,
But I've seen it.
Sometimes I jump and jump,
And for a moment,
It feels close.
Then he pointed to the pond's surface.
Look,
The moon is right there,
In the water.
The lotus leaned over and saw the moon's reflection.
It shimmered with light.
Is that the real moon?
She asked.
No,
Said the frog.
It's only a reflection,
The real moon is far away,
In the sky.
The lotus looked up again,
And her heart grew heavy.
She was so far from the moon,
She could never reach it.
She looked down at her petals and thought,
I am only a flower in the mud.
Days passed,
The sun came and went,
Rain fell,
The wind sang.
But the lotus was quiet.
Even when the sun made her glow,
She thought of the moon.
Even when the rain gave her water,
She longed for the stars.
Even when a butterfly landed on her petal and said,
You are lovely,
She answered,
Not like the mud.
Then,
One morning,
An old turtle came to the pond.
He was slow and wise.
He had seen many seasons,
Many lotuses,
Many moons.
Why do you look so sad,
Young flower?
He asked.
The lotus bowed slightly and said,
I want to shine like the moon,
But I cannot.
I am only a lotus,
I am stuck in the mud.
The turtle nodded slowly.
Ah,
He said,
Let me tell you something.
The moon is far,
Yes,
But it's not what you think.
The lotus blinked.
What do you mean?
The turtle looked up at the sky.
The moon does not shine by itself,
It only reflects the light of the sun.
He looked back at her.
And you,
Little one,
You make your own light.
You rise from the mud,
Bloom in the water,
And share beauty with the world.
The lotus was quiet.
The turtle smiled gently.
The moon lives in the sky.
You live in the earth.
But the same light touches both of you.
Don't try to become something else,
But fully who you are.
And you will shine in your own way.
He slowly swam away,
Leaving ripples behind.
That night,
The lotus opened her petals wider than ever before.
She let the moonlight fall on her face.
But this time,
She didn't try to reach it.
She just breathed.
She just was.
She looked around.
Fireflies floated like tiny stars.
The pond was calm.
The sky was full of wonder.
A breeze passed over her.
You are beautiful,
It whispered.
She smiled.
For the first time in many days,
She felt peaceful.
One morning,
A child came with her grandmother.
They sat by the pond under the shade of a tree.
The child looked at the flowers and asked,
Grandma,
Which flower is the most special?
The grandmother pointed to the little lotus.
This one,
She said.
Because it grew from the dark mud,
But opened with light.
Because it didn't try to be anything else.
It simply became itself.
And that,
That is true beauty.
The lotus heard these words.
She had tears in her heart.
Seasons passed.
She watched leaves fall.
She felt the chill of winter.
She welcomed spring again.
And every night,
The moon came to visit.
But now,
The lotus did not long to become it.
She simply opened her petals,
Breathed the cool air,
And said,
I shine in my own way.
And the moon seemed to smile back.
Now,
Take a slow,
Deep breath.
Let it fill your chest.
And gently let it go.
Feel your body resting,
Just like the lotus in the quiet pond.
Nothing to do.
Nowhere to go.
You are safe.
You are still.
You are already shining.
Just by being here.
Let the calm of the night wrap around you like a soft blanket.
Let your thoughts float away like petals on the water.
The moon watches over you.
The stars keep gentle silence.
And your heart glows with quiet peace.
Sleep is near.
You are home.
You are loved.
You are light.
Good night.
