LIBRARY OF ARTICLES
THE PRAYER BASKET
by Shayna Tovah
One day a little girl was visiting her grandmother.
"Grandmother, don't you have a video for me to watch, or a video game for me to play, or some Barbie dolls I can dress up?"
Her grandmother just chuckled. And waited. Soon the little girl was just walking around in circles not knowing what to do with herself.
"Grandmother!" she exclaimed. "I am bored and you are no fun to be with! You don't have any good stuff to play with and I have to be here all day with you. I want to go home so I can watch T.V. and play with my toys."
Grandmother just chuckled again.
"Little one," Grandmother said while sitting outside on a rock, "Stay still for a moment and sit in silence, you will come across something to do."
The little girl did not understand. Every time she had been told to sit still she was being put on time out for doing something wrong or she was in a public place where they didn't allow children to be noisy. Why was her grandmother telling her to sit and be silent now? Her grandmother got that look on her face, the look that the little girl had grown to know as " I know a little more about life than you do."
"Oh, well, I guess I could, there is nothing else to do!" the little girl said.
So she sat on the ground by her grandmother. They both sat there in silence for what seemed to be a lifetime, but it was only about three minutes.
Then something strange happened. The little girl heard whispers. But there was no one else around. She looked to both sides of herself, then to the ground, and up above her head. She didn't see anything.
"Grandmother, what was that?"
Grandmother just chuckled. They sat in silence again and the whispers continued. "Grandmother I hear something, or someone, talking to me but I can't see them." Grandmother smiled and said, "Little one, you are hearing the grasses talking to you, and the willows, and all of the plants."
"But Grandmother, grass can't talk neither can the plants!" said the little girl.
"Then what are you hearing, little one?" Grandmother answered.
As the little girl looked around quietly, she began to understand. Just like we cannot see the wind, we know that it is there. We can feel it. And she could feel the plants, grass, and trees. She began to think of them as alive.
Grandmother then told her to take a walk by the river and pay attention to the rushes. The little girl found the idea intriguing so she got up right away and ran down to the river. As she stood by the tall rush she closed her eyes and began to listen with her heart. She could hear a hawk over head and a small critter moving around near her feet. Then all of a sudden there was a whisper, " Little one, you can gather me and create a basket to hold your prayers and dreams in and they will come true." The little girl was startled. Did she really hear that? She looked around to see if someone was there. She could see no one.
The little girl went running back up the hill to her grandmother.
"Grandmother" she said, "Can I get a cutting tool from the kitchen?"
Grandmother chuckled. "Why of course dear child and be sure to be careful."
So, down to the river the little girl went, hurriedly, but safely, as excitement swelled up in her chest.
"I will have a special basket to put my prayers and dreams in", she thought to herself, never telling her grandmother what she was up to.
Grandmother called as the little girl ran towards the river, "Remember to give thanks to the plants before you take them."
Now, the little girl wasn't sure what her grandmother meant by that, she wasn't used to giving thanks when she pulled up grass or picked a flower. She reached the river and rushes with great eagerness. The little girl heard the voices again in the wind, "We are here for you little one. We will give our lives for your prayer basket."
"Oh thank you!", she replied with great pleasure.
Little one carefully knelt down in the shallow waters on the edge of the river and began to cut the rushes at the bottom. She was very careful not to pull or tug, just gently cut while she gave thanks to each one. After a few moments she felt that she had cut enough of them to make her basket. The little girl headed up the hill and waved goodbye to the other rushes and the river.
When the little girl got back to the house Grandmother was waiting inside for her.
"Grandmother, I want to be alone right now, can I go into the spare room?"
Grandmother chuckled. "Why of course, little one, and remember to pray."
By this time the little girl began to wonder if Grandmother knew what she was up to, and if so, how did she know? Well, anyway, she went into the spare room and laid the rushes out on the floor. Little one sat quietly and listened to her heart. First she made some rows of the rushes going one way. Then she took one rush and began to weave it under and the over the next in line until it laid flat between the rows. Then she wove another one. Then another. As she was working she thought of all the wonderful things that had happened in her life, all of the wonderful people she knew, and about the river, the trees, the animals, the fish, and the plants. She knew that there was a lot of fighting going on in the world and she prayed for it to stop. She wanted everything to be as peaceful as it felt while she was at the river in stillness and silence. She prayed for that peace to come. She prayed that when she grew up the Earth would be a safe place to live and that everyone would have what they needed and not want more. She prayed that people would understand that just as the basket she wove, each one of us is interconnected and that all of life on Earth fit together to make a beautiful creation. Hours passed.
Nighttime came and the little girl finished her basket. She gleefully ran into the kitchen where her grandmother had been busily making dinner. The wonderful smells of homemade bread and warm soup filled the air.
"Grandmother, she said.
"I have made a basket, a special basket that is for my prayers and dreams."
Grandmother chuckled. "Dear child, how could you have done that?"
The little girl answered, "Grandmother the rushes told me how. The called to me by the river and told me to take them to make this basket for my prayers and dreams."
She continued, " I thanked them for giving their lives for me and then they helped me make the basket."
Grandmother chuckled. "Oh, little one, how could the rushes talk to you? You know plants can't talk, they are not alive!"
"Yes they are Grandmother!", the little girl said in a rebellious tone of voice.
"Well how do you know that?" the grandmother responded.
"I sat quietly and listened, Grandmother, and now I have a prayer basket to prove it." said the little girl.
Grandmother sat back in her large over stuffed chair, smiled and chuckled.
As years passed and the little girl grew older she kept that prayer basket as a reminder of the spirit of all living things and now shares the basket with friends while they sit in silence and listen to the rushes as they put their prayers into the basket too.
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The Prayer Basket
Copyright © Shayna DeArmon 2002
 Shayna is an ethno-spiritual, energy worker, natural health practitioner and teacher/writer.
Shayna has been a "Seer" since her childhood. For the past 25 years her life experiences have included different religious, spiritual, and cultural paths; American Indian, Celtic, Pre-historic and Matrifocal cultures, cultures of the Middle East and Mexico, Buddism and Hinduism. Shayna is a spiritual counselor, teacher/writer, ceremonial leader, health practitioner, and catalyst. She offers teachings and ceremonies in the areas of Harmonic Living - Lunar Attunement, Sweat Lodge, Parenting, and Blessing Ways - Coming of Age and Menopausal Rites.
Since 1974 Shayna's medicinal work has included Herbology, Homeopathy, Auyureveda, Flower Essences, and Harmonic Balance - the light energy work of The Divine Mother.
Shayna has authored a "playbook" called Harmony - A Lunar Chronicle a 13 month circular calender that charts the daily Lunar phases. This workbook helps the participant realize the relationship of their emotions, physical being and thoughts with the Lunar phases. She has also authored a children's story about the coming of a new day and a new way, "The Toad King," as well as, "What's the Matter with Kids Today?," a self-help parenting book.
As an International Teacher Shayna's work emphasizes recognition and intergration of the concept of "Mitakuye Oyasin," we are all related; humans,animals, plants, fish and even stones! She uses drumming, song, art, journeying and storytelling to weave her teachings of honor, respect, compassion and open heart into the magical tapestry of Life!
WORDS FROM 'TWEEN
Oh, if every child was read this story, if every busy parent would take a moment to listen to the gentleness of the message. We at 'tween are grateful, once again, to Shayna and her ability to weave harmony and hope into words. Thank you, Shayna.
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