The Fragile Figurine

The beautifully handcrafted glass figurine sat on the shelf. It was a work of art - stunning and rare. "Daddy! Daddy! I want that one!" cried the little girl. Her eye had caught the shimmering light reflecting from the lovely glass - sparkling like diamonds along the sculpted cascading hair and flowing gown. It was her heart's desire to take it home with her - to have it sit on her shelf and gaze into its exquisite, transparent depths.

And so she was granted her wish and, with admonitions to always be careful with this fragile treasure and to not touch it until the time was right, it found a home on a shelf in her room - right by the window and at just the right angle so that it reflected the most light possible throughout the entire room.

It was hard to resist, but the little girl managed to let it remain on the shelf. However, each time the sunset gleamed through her window and the figurine sent forth dancing rainbows of light, her eyes would light up and glisten with desire to hold it. "Just once," she thought, "If I am really really careful, I can hold her." So, one day she stepped towards the shelf and laid a trembling hand on her precious gift. Slowly, with both hands outstretched, she painstakingly lifted the figurine from its resting place. But, in her delight and the unexpected joy she felt from holding this treasure in her own two small hands, she let her grip loosen and it slipped. CRASH!

"Daddy! Daddy!" she cried, "Oh no! I've ruined her - I just wanted to touch her for a moment but now she is shattered!" A million sparkling pieces of glass radiated light around the room - catching the shimmering tears spilling down the little girls face. "Shhhhhhhhh, honey. Everything is going to be alright, " soothed her father, reaching down to draw the little girl into his comforting arms. He let her sobs subside into his shoulder and helped her into bed.

The next morning she awoke to see the morning light playing on her wall. She glanced over to her shelf, expecting to see an empty space where her figurine had once stood gracefully. And there it was! Full of joy and disbelief, she sat in awe and gazed steadily at her treasure. How it had been fixed she could not understand, but there it stood - tall and proud and gleaming with light.

She vowed to never touch it again - on her shelf it would stay. And stay it did. Every morning light and every sunset glow reflected from it to dance around her room in gorgeous displays. The figurine stood firmly on the shelf, beautiful yet distant. At times she still yearned to touch it, remembering fondly that one moment of pure joy when she had held it in her hands. Somehow, even though it gave beautiful visual displays of reflecting rainbows, holding it in her tiny grasp had given her a joy she could not explain.

But she remembered what had happened following that moment of exceeding joy. A crash. A horrid crash that she never wanted to hear again. A crash that would be imbedded in her memory for all of time. She also remembered the miraculous second chance that she had been given, and this strengthened her resolve to never let anything like that happen again.

The years passed and the little girl grew. Her toys and childish decorations were put away and her room became "all grown up." But she could not bear to put the figurine into a box in the attic. No, this was too beautiful to shut up away in a dusty room with no light. This figurine was created to reflect light and even though she was older, she still was constantly fascinated by it.

The day came when she had to move out of her room and the packing began. Everything was sorted and cleaned and labelled and packaged - except the figurine. She refused to touch it - too frightened that she would make the same mistake again. Too afraid that in her handling of her most prized possession, it might break. Or crack. Or shatter. She could not trust herself to take her beloved figurine from the shelf and wrap it in soft packaging and place it in its travelling box. She stood there for what seemed like hours, knowing that she must touch it, take it her hands and move it. It was the right time now. Maybe touching it before had not been the right thing to do, but now? Now was obviously the right time - more than the right time, it was the only time! It was now or never, but she just couldn't bring herself to take that risk.

Her father entered her room. "Are you ready to go?" he asked, knowing full well what was hindering her progress from the room. "Daddy...I know that it is time to touch my figurine now, but something inside me is terrified at the risk of breaking her." "It is alright, dear. Since the day when you let her slip to the floor, you have taken much care to not let that happen again. You have fully enjoyed her reflected light throughout your room, and, even though you knew there was more joy to be had than simply watching the light dance across your ceiling, you did not make the same mistake again. You have been obediantly enjoying her from a distance, taking special precautions to keep the figurine's beauty intact and lovely. However, now is the time to touch her. You may take her down from the shelf, hold her in your now ready hands and fully experience the joy that comes with that gesture. Do not be afraid, for I am right here beside you and I will not leave. Everything will be alright - go ahead. Reach out and take her from her resting place. Remember my comfort and love from the last time you held her - that is offered to you no matter what may happen. I cannot promise that you will hold her perfectly the first time, or that she will not shatter again - but I am promising you that I am here, ready to help you every moment. I will tell you step by step how to hold her properly and, with practice, you will grow in confidence, being able to experience the wondrous joy that comes with fully possessing your treasure."

The tears that brimmed to the surface were a mixture of fear and excitement. Her heart pounded, her knees weakened, her hands trembled with anticipation. But she trusted her father's words - knowing that he was beside her, loving her, whether it shattered or not. Carefully, slowly, finally! Her hands reached out towards the fragile figurine...