Over the holiday season, in
the midst of receiving ornaments for My first tree, I received a care package
from a person I consider close to My heart.
Amidst the ornament and edible delicacies was a heavy item wrapped
up. I opened it and stared, dumbstruck.
It was a pewter figure of a
wyvern perched on a tree. That may not
seem like a big deal, but it hit Me deep.
Once again the wyvern has entered My life. I told Her it was strange she
picked that specific creature, since I rarely-if ever-have talked about its significance. She told
Me that it called to Her, that it just seemed right. Teary eyed, I thanked her profusely and
promised to tell Her the significance of this.
A couple days ago I kept My word.
And in this I decided to share it with others, to maybe lift some
spirits.
Let Me tell You a tale...
For most of My life one of My favorite mythical creatures has been the dragon in all its incarnations. I poured over the old D&D monster manuals, fantasy books, and mythology guides. Two of My favorite movies are the Rankin-Bass The Hobbit and Dragonslayer. I would draw them whenever I could.
One day, nearly 30 years ago, My Grandfather was talking to Me and said He needed My help for a contest He was going to enter. The question needing answering was what was a wyvern? I quickly gave him an answer about how it had two legs and wings, unlike the traditional four legged and winged type, and how it had a distinctive barbed tail. He thanked Me for the information. A few weeks later He came by to tell Me he had won based on My answer and took Me out for ice cream as a thank you.
(A small aside: all these years later I now realize that there most likely wasn't a contest and that He did this to make Me feel just a bit more important in life. For a young kid whose parents were going through a REALLY messy divorce and feeling lost in the world, it was the exactly right thing to do...)
A couple years later, I was reading the Piers Anthony Xanth book Centaur Isle (I know, I know-I didn't have a discerning tastes as I do now) and noticed the cover featured the artist's interpretation of wyverns on it. Inspired, I took a sheet of paper and My little collection of projector markers (it was My preferred artistic medium at the time) and drew one of them. When I saw My Grandfather a few days later I presented it to Him. He loved it and said He was going to hang it up at their house. I imagined it on their refrigerator or pinned to the office corkboard. My Grandparents did a bit better than that...
The next time I went to visit My Grandparents I they opened the front door and on the wall visible directly behind it was My picture. They (I believe My Grandmother) had cut it and My signature out matted and framed it. This was an amazing honor for Me. That picture stayed up there past My Grandfather's death until My Grandmother sold the house. And when she moved she hung it prominently in the living room.
A few years ago she was diagnosed with the onset of dementia. When it got bad enough to warrant moving Her to a private care facility I was given the picture. It now hangs proudly in My dining room. I get to look at it every day and think of how truly amazing and caring they were to Me and how I should try My best to carry on with their ways...
For most of My life one of My favorite mythical creatures has been the dragon in all its incarnations. I poured over the old D&D monster manuals, fantasy books, and mythology guides. Two of My favorite movies are the Rankin-Bass The Hobbit and Dragonslayer. I would draw them whenever I could.
One day, nearly 30 years ago, My Grandfather was talking to Me and said He needed My help for a contest He was going to enter. The question needing answering was what was a wyvern? I quickly gave him an answer about how it had two legs and wings, unlike the traditional four legged and winged type, and how it had a distinctive barbed tail. He thanked Me for the information. A few weeks later He came by to tell Me he had won based on My answer and took Me out for ice cream as a thank you.
(A small aside: all these years later I now realize that there most likely wasn't a contest and that He did this to make Me feel just a bit more important in life. For a young kid whose parents were going through a REALLY messy divorce and feeling lost in the world, it was the exactly right thing to do...)
A couple years later, I was reading the Piers Anthony Xanth book Centaur Isle (I know, I know-I didn't have a discerning tastes as I do now) and noticed the cover featured the artist's interpretation of wyverns on it. Inspired, I took a sheet of paper and My little collection of projector markers (it was My preferred artistic medium at the time) and drew one of them. When I saw My Grandfather a few days later I presented it to Him. He loved it and said He was going to hang it up at their house. I imagined it on their refrigerator or pinned to the office corkboard. My Grandparents did a bit better than that...
The next time I went to visit My Grandparents I they opened the front door and on the wall visible directly behind it was My picture. They (I believe My Grandmother) had cut it and My signature out matted and framed it. This was an amazing honor for Me. That picture stayed up there past My Grandfather's death until My Grandmother sold the house. And when she moved she hung it prominently in the living room.
A few years ago she was diagnosed with the onset of dementia. When it got bad enough to warrant moving Her to a private care facility I was given the picture. It now hangs proudly in My dining room. I get to look at it every day and think of how truly amazing and caring they were to Me and how I should try My best to carry on with their ways...
PS- The wyvern figure I
received? It sits on My office desk
where I can see it every day, where it brings a smile to My face.
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