Okay,
Let's start with a brief meditation.
To get you in the right frame of mind.
To relax and drift off.
Sit as comfy as you can and gently close your eyes.
Be aware of your body as it rests on the surface beneath you.
Take a nice big deep breath in,
Hold and release.
And again,
Breathe in,
Hold and breathe out.
Now just go back to breathing normally and turn your mind to how your body is feeling
Right now.
You're finally giving yourself time to rest.
To relax those tired bones and aching muscles.
We carry so much stress and anxiety inside our bodies that we sense those feelings physically.
Giving yourself time to rest and reset can help take that burden off.
Right now,
This moment is for you.
I want you to imagine that you're no longer in your room,
But you're standing in a vast
Meadow.
We typically think of meadows being bathed in sunlight,
But tonight the long grasses
And wildflowers are drenched in moonlight.
There are no clouds obscuring the beauty of the moon and the millions of stars in the
Inky black sky.
Your bare foot,
The soles of your feet pressing into the soft earth that feels slightly warm
To the touch.
There's a breeze that makes the wildflowers bow their heads and the grasses shimmer in
Waves.
It's a pleasant feeling against your skin and you welcome the night's embrace.
Other than the wind,
The crickets and the hoot of a distant owl,
You hear nothing.
It stills your mind and slows your heart.
You feel content and like you were meant to be here at this very moment.
You cast your gaze downward and notice a gap in the tall stalks in front of you.
A rough path which looks as though it's been worn down over time.
The kind of path that comes from hundreds and thousands of feet,
Carving out a shortcut
Across the land,
Eventually becoming a clear trail.
Slowly and purposefully,
You begin to walk down this path,
Welcoming the soft earth underfoot.
Slowly soft warm lights of lanterns come into view in the distance and you make your
Way toward them.
Following the path for a while,
A village comes into view that must be where the lights
Came from.
They're lanterns from market stalls lining the village square.
The sound of chatting,
Laughter and music carries in the breeze toward you,
Mingling
With spicy sweet smells of food,
Inviting you to step onto the cobblestone streets and
Immerse yourself in the night market.
Under tents and behind trestle tables filled with trinkets,
You see artisans of all ages,
Their faces glowing with pride,
Displaying their wares,
Each more peculiar and fascinating
Than the last.
You remember that it's your friend's birthday coming up soon and you're yet to find the
Perfect gift to express your love.
Now is the chance to find something truly unique that they can treasure.
You approach a stall draped in velvet,
Where a woman with kind eyes and a gentle smile
Greets you.
Welcome,
She says,
Her voice like a melody.
I craft dreams into jewellery,
Pick one and it will show you your heart's deepest desire.
On the table before her,
Dozens of the most beautiful jewellery pieces you've ever seen
Glitter in the lantern light.
Gold,
Silver and copper,
Worked with stones and crystals of every kind.
Curious,
You examine a necklace of silver twigs and tendrils that surround a stone swirling
With colours like the aurora borealis.
As you hold it,
You feel a warmth spreading through your chest,
Images of distant lands
And forgotten tales filling your mind.
Beautiful,
Isn't it?
The woman asks.
You nod,
Entranced.
Further down,
A man stands behind a collection of wooden toys that move on their own.
The miniature dragon playfully chases its tail,
While a phoenix spreads its wings,
Embers
Glowing beneath its feathers.
Even the faces of green men stand proudly and offer a smile and a gentle rustle of their
Wooden leaves.
I carve these from the trees of the enchanted forest,
The carver explains,
His eyes sparkling
With mischief.
They hold the magic of old,
Forgotten days.
You can't help but laugh as a tiny knight bows before you,
Its wooden sword raised
In salute.
The craftsman winks.
Every piece can tell you its own story.
The scent of toffee and ginger wafts your way,
And you follow your nose to a charming
Little caravan painted with vibrant colours.
The door stands open and one of the oldest ladies you've ever seen in your life is
Standing inside,
Eyes animated,
Chatting with some patrons.
She spots you out of the corner of her eye and asks,
What'll it be dear?
You scan a menu written in chalk that seems to dance on the board.
All kinds of tempting drinks are on offer.
You settle on a hot chocolate with popping candy whipped cream.
She hands over a mug in the shape of a cauldron.
You double take as the steam rises off the surface of the drink in crescent moons and
Star shapes.
Taking a sip,
Everything around you seems to shimmer and glow,
Your body filling with
Contentment and peace.
As the night deepens,
You chat with more artisans,
Each sharing a piece of their soul through
Their creations.
A painter whose canvases change with your mood.
A potter whose vases sing when the moonlight touches them.
And a weaver whose tapestries transform with the seasons.
You marvel at it all,
But you still haven't quite found the ideal birthday gift for your
Friend just yet.
You continue to wander,
Feeling grateful for having stumbled across this beautiful,
Magical
Craft fair.
Finally,
You find yourself at a cosy stall with a fire pit in the centre.
Squashy armchairs and beanbags dotted around under the canvas.
An elderly man sits surrounded by books.
Ah,
A seeker of stories,
He says,
His voice warm and inviting.
Each book here offers something specific that changes with the reader.
What story do you seek tonight?
You pick a book with a cover that glows softly,
The title shimmering and shifting so you can't
Quite make out the words.
As you open it,
The pages dance before your eyes,
Weaving a tale that feels intimately
Familiar.
It's all memories of the best parts of your life.
Images like snapshots of your past,
Drawn in glittering inks,
And stories about moments
You'd forgotten until this moment.
You ask the man whether you could give this as a gift to someone,
And whether it would
Transform to reflect their own life's memories.
But of course,
This book is for your friend,
Isn't it?
I knew you were coming before you even knew I was here.
This book will remind your companion of all the best parts of your friendship together.
The moment when you barely laughed till you cried,
The times they were there for you during
Rough patches,
The silly in-jokes you still bring up years after you invented them yet
Can't remember where on earth they came from,
All of it will be contained within its pages.
This book,
Filled with the cherished memories from your friendship,
Is the perfect gift
For your friend.
As you picture them sitting,
Flipping through the pages,
A warm smile spreads across your
Face.
You can almost hear their laughter,
And see the sparkle in their eyes as they relive those
Precious moments.
With a heartfelt thank you to the man,
You carefully tuck the book away in a special
Pocket of your bag,
Ensuring its safety.
As the night market begins to wind down,
The lanterns flickering off one by one,
You take
A moment to savour the atmosphere,
And bid farewell to each artisan you encountered.
Their creations have sparked something within you,
New ideas,
Newfound inspiration,
And
An appreciation for the magic that exists in this world.
With a contented sigh,
You make your way back down the worn path,
Leaving behind the village
And returning to the moonlit meadow.
The grasses still sway gently in the breeze,
Their whispers carrying promises of more adventures
To come.
Sweet dreams.
