The Story
There once was a Queen. Most Noble. Most beautiful.
She walked with grace and dignity, strength and honor. She was revered by all and loved by all. But, famine hit the land and war broke out. Everything was lost and there was no hope left. The fabric of hope and light that had once been the strength of the kingdom was wearing thin. Some days the Queen and her people wondered how much longer they could carry on.
The castle was abandoned.... except for the Queen and her children. The grande crystal chandelier had broken to pieces and her fine goblets lay shattered on the floor. The land appeared gray. Silent. Still. The Queen’s face was pale and her gown tattered. Her breath was thick in the winter-chilled air. She gazed out at the sea, reflecting on the ruin of her kingdom. Then she wept as she cried out, “I have lost everything! I have nothing left! I have let my people down!” She dropped to her knees and closed her eyes.
When she opened them, she started gathering all the broken pieces of glass on the castle floor; the broken pieces of a life and a hope all but lost. She walked along the beach and collected shells, driftwood and rocks beaten down by the waves and refined by the sand. She gathered fabric from her closets and wool, yarn and silk found in the seamstress’s quarters. She tore fringe from the toppled lampshades in the grand salon and ripped strands of poms from upended curtains in the children's rooms. In the woods, she piled up stacks of fallen branches and gathered baskets of interesting stones and colorful bird feathers found on the forest floor.
The Queen gathered and collected it all. And as she did a new feeling of hope aroused within her. She saw that there was still beauty within the land. The children, inspired by the Queen’s renewed spirit, felt a change within themselves as well. Hope is contagious that way.
The very next morning, while walking along a well traveled path, the children’s eyes caught a glimmer of light. An ordinary rock, buried in the rubble and dirt, had sparkled, if only for a moment, reflecting the morning light. They couldn’t believe their eyes. The children found more and quickly stuffed as many rocks as they could into their pockets and brought them to the Queen. They all gathered by the fire. She drew a pail of water near. The children waited with bated breath.
And as the Queen washed the stones with the hem of her tattered gown, something extraordinary happened. A light was unveiled. A brilliance unmasked. The true beauty of the stones revealed. Simple stones really, just modest pebbles, now sparkled with more beauty and brilliance than any of the royal riches they once possessed. The Queen and the children were overjoyed. Their imagination took flight.
This moment of revelation was a gift from the land they loved and had always protected. In this moment, the land exposed its grand treasure. The Queen and the children of the kingdom opened their eyes to its beauty and splendor. The magic of the kingdom was alive again!
The children’s curiosity and imagination was ignited, fueled by the powerful spark of hope. Each new day was welcomed with anticipation and unbridled excitement for they knew that their land held untold adventures and treasures just waiting to be discovered.
From that day forward, the benevolent Queen and the children of the kingdom, brought their found treasures back to the castle. They sat down together by the fire and created beauty from all that they had gathered. Each piece was beautiful, unique and made with love. “Beauty from the ashes,” the Queen would say.
Soon the castle was filled with their creations. The Queen’s hope was infused into each piece, spreading inspiration across the land. People traveled great distances to see and experience the magic for themselves. The hope of its people woven lovingly into a necklace, a ring, a crown, a stick.
The Queen, in her humble nobility, became a symbol of hope and inspiration to her people and the world. Soon confidence grew, hope was restored and a kingdom was rebuilt. The Queen represents all people who have lost and not given up hope.
She is the Modern Queen.