Comments on: Creating a Family Shrine http://www.magpie-girl.com/20081017/creating-a-family-shrine/ distracted by sparkly things since 1969 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:46:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: 'Babs' http://www.magpie-girl.com/20081017/creating-a-family-shrine/comment-page-1/#comment-22174 'Babs' Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:53:03 +0000 http://www.magpie-girl.com/?p=661#comment-22174 My introduction to Denmark was meeting angry neighbours who wanted to cut down a tree in our garden that dusted their car with pollen. It was a very old tree. I was pregnant at the time. They were loud and angry because we didn't want the tree to go, at all. When we told them we would keep the tree alive they threatened us and asked me why I didn't go back where I came from, and why did I stay in Denmark if I didn't like the way things are done here? The spray painted obscene grafitti on the tree and came into our garden without asking. The local police were aghast, but these people were above the law and did what they did, anyway. In the end they did it anyway, they cut down the tree and celebrated the day, they said it was worth paying the legal bills, that in their minds it was right, and that there is no place for such a big tree in their street, they wanted everything tidy. They wanted their expensive cars shiny, they didn't care that I was pregnant, they said in that case I should not fight them. Really. This all happened. When I read it, and I haven't thought about it for a while, I am astounded. My husband took a limb of that beautiful tree and wittled a tiny angel out of it, and angel with outstretched arms. And he made me a small shelf out of the fallen wood. I held that angel when I was giving birth, and that angel was close to me. The shelf I use as a sacred space. It is a very small space and can only hold items that can fit in the palm of the hand. Today I have, on that shelf, little stones the children bring me, a small sprig of heather, a piece of worn glass found on the beach and more. I put things on the shelf that my children and husband bring me. They can fell the trees but they cannot fell the spirit. xxxxx My introduction to Denmark was meeting angry neighbours who wanted to cut down a tree in our garden that dusted their car with pollen. It was a very old tree. I was pregnant at the time. They were loud and angry because we didn’t want the tree to go, at all. When we told them we would keep the tree alive they threatened us and asked me why I didn’t go back where I came from, and why did I stay in Denmark if I didn’t like the way things are done here? The spray painted obscene grafitti on the tree and came into our garden without asking. The local police were aghast, but these people were above the law and did what they did, anyway.

In the end they did it anyway, they cut down the tree and celebrated the day, they said it was worth paying the legal bills, that in their minds it was right, and that there is no place for such a big tree in their street, they wanted everything tidy. They wanted their expensive cars shiny, they didn’t care that I was pregnant, they said in that case I should not fight them. Really. This all happened. When I read it, and I haven’t thought about it for a while, I am astounded.

My husband took a limb of that beautiful tree and wittled a tiny angel out of it, and angel with outstretched arms. And he made me a small shelf out of the fallen wood.

I held that angel when I was giving birth, and that angel was close to me.

The shelf I use as a sacred space. It is a very small space and can only hold items that can fit in the palm of the hand.

Today I have, on that shelf, little stones the children bring me, a small sprig of heather, a piece of worn glass found on the beach and more. I put things on the shelf that my children and husband bring me.

They can fell the trees but they cannot fell the spirit.

xxxxx

]]> By: Magpie Girl » Blog Archive » *8 Things: Beating the Winter Blues http://www.magpie-girl.com/20081017/creating-a-family-shrine/comment-page-1/#comment-16475 Magpie Girl » Blog Archive » *8 Things: Beating the Winter Blues Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:47:01 +0000 http://www.magpie-girl.com/?p=661#comment-16475 [...] Parties. Advance-schedule friends to come over once a month and beat the blues away. Ours are: Equinox Chili Fest, Soup Night, Dia de los Muertos, Danish in December (holiday craft night); La Vie Boheme Salon [...] [...] Parties. Advance-schedule friends to come over once a month and beat the blues away. Ours are: Equinox Chili Fest, Soup Night, Dia de los Muertos, Danish in December (holiday craft night); La Vie Boheme Salon [...]

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