The Secret Flower

High up in the unforgiving wilderness that is the Himalayas lies a hidden valley, called the Valley of Flowers.

Some say that this is truly Shangri-La, the Land of Everlasting Beauty ... much as I would like to sustain this gentle notion, this is not the case.

You see, this Valley is fairly well known by the few local tribes that live nearby ... this is where young men pick the pretty flowers they give to their beloveds, this is where the few lucky bunnies come to taste the waking of Spring, this is where the Devas of the Sacred Mountains come to dance in the full moon ...

This is the Valley of Joy ...

And here, stuck at the very edge, forgotten by all that is beautiful, lies a little patch of snow which can never melt ... No matter how much the Sun joyfully plays amongst the pretty flowers, no matter how the perfumed breezes gently meander through the Valley, they simply cannot touch this small, little, patch of snow ...

Bordered by strong boulders [as if in defense of some unseen enemy] they circle the snow, guarding it from change, keeping it constant through their shadows ... this they have done for thousand of years ... this they will do for thousand more ... for they consider it to be ‘Duty’ ... and now, ‘Sacred Duty’.

But what is Time if not just a momentary breath of the Divine ... and what if no judgment, no criticism, no disapproving censure was given to these fierce guardians ... what if there was simple acceptance ...

Would they not, over the millennia, relax in their intense rigidity, would they not come to feel that - even though they were not like the others - yet in some strange manner, they did belong ...

... and how would this affect the land, the very loving Valley which shelters them all ...

And so it came to pass that in this day of Joyful Spring, for the first time, a single beautiful wild flower was born out of the eternal snows ... just as radiant, just as bright as the white mantel which surrounds it ... and with true joy it sang a song so pure, so filled with crystal tones, that every living being around it was transported - just for a moment - to ecstasy ...

Still surrounded by these strong guardians, no-one knew the source of such infinite beauty ...this secret flower of the Hidden Valley ... just smiled ... and sang, unperturbed ...

Now every year, many come to sit and rest among the colorful flowers, each with their own opinion as to the source of such pure songs ... and still none thinks of looking in the one place that is believed to be barren ...

Yes, every year, for just a moment, the unique blossom emerges to sing its Song of Joy ... safe from turmoil of others, thanks to the dedications of its eternal protectors who now, for some undisclosed reason, seem to be much, much more mellow ...