Artistry Of Artemis

The Story Behind "Stepping Stones"

Almost two years ago, a young woman came to work at our company. She was in her mid-twenties, married with a preschool aged son. Soon we learned that she was in the midst of a personal crisis. Her mother, in her early fifties, was dying of cancer.

The details of her situation struck very close to home for me. I was just a little older than she was when I was facing the death of my own mother at 58 from breast cancer. I also was married with a two-year-old son.

My office soon became one of her sanctuaries when her days were too difficult to face. I tried to give her advice, explain what the doctors were saying, and give her some idea of what the next few weeks would hold. I also tried to be her mother’s voice. My mother had shared many of her feelings with me in her last days, and I tried to share them with my friend in a way that might give her insight into her own mother’s state of mind. As much as I tried, my words seemed to fall short.

Then one weekend, “Stepping Stones” flowed into me--word for word, paragraph by paragraph, from the roots of my own philosophy of spiritualism. I wrote it down and gave it to my friend, sealed in an envelope. I told her to read it when she had a few minutes to herself. The next morning, she approached me, in tears, to tell me how much it meant to her. She asked if portions of it could be read at her mother’s funeral. Of course, I gave my permission.

Since then, I have shared “Stepping Stones” with several people. With every situation, it seems to take on new meanings. It grows outside of its boundaries. For me, that is the true sign that Spirit is being channeled. I hope that someone who reads it here will find his or her own special meaning in it.

~~~ Artemis ~~~

Seeking spiritual truth is like following a path of stepping stones into a deep, dark forest. When we are ready to move forward in our life’s journey, the appropriate stepping stone becomes illuminated, drawing our attention and guiding us to our next experience. Upon arrival at each stepping stone, new emotions, knowledge and sensations enter our awareness. Sometimes these occurrences make sense, but sometimes they appear to be disconnected, leaving us confused and uncertain, not trusting what we are experiencing. Every so often, we will arrive at a stepping stone that compels us to look behind and take an overview of the path traveled thus far. That point in the journey provides us with understanding and insight. Some of the stepping stones keep us stalled out for long periods in the depths of the forest surrounded by darkness and fear. The next stepping stone fails to be illuminated, and we think we have been abandoned and forsaken. At this point, we learn patience and trust. In spite of the darkness and the frightening sounds of the unknown mysteries of the forest, we somehow find a way to have faith in the wisdom of our path and realize that such an amazing journey must have a meaning—an ultimate destination. When we have learned the lesson of faith, as if by magic, the next stepping stone will be illuminated, and we will move forward once more.

At some point along the path, we will notice a glowing light in the distance. With each step, we draw closer until suddenly the forest disappears, and we are surrounded by the love, joy, and peace of the glowing brilliance. We dance in it, sing in it, and play in it. We fly free in its limitless boundaries. Then one day, in the midst of our flight, we encounter another forest—more dark and entangled than the one through which we just traveled. Some of us decide to stay in the warmth and comfort of the light. But there are some of us who possess adventurous souls, who believe that the quality of the light is in direct proportion to the darkness of the forest. We spend our last days in the light as restless beings, exploring the edges of the forest until we find an opening in the trees. We see a new set of stepping stones in front of us. The first one is already illuminated, beckoning to us. We take our first wary step on a new journey of faith, self-understanding, and enlightenment.

We do not always have to travel alone, although some choose to do so. Sometimes we can take kindred souls on our journeys with us. Some travel with the same companion forever—their steps always in unison. Others find that, at some point along the path, different stones are illuminated. They find they have been chosen to follow divergent ways. The companions find that they must separate and follow their own journeys. To do otherwise would mean that one would have to follow a path not designed for them—one that would prevent them from being all that they were meant to be. They would learn the wrong lessons, find the wrong meanings, and be forever lost in their own private darkness. This is why sometimes loving means letting go, in hopes that our loved ones will find their way back into the joy and peace of their own personal light. In this way, letting go can be the highest form of love even though it requires us to continue in sadness and loneliness as we move forward on our journey. Some find themselves traveling happily along their paths, enjoying their solitude, when suddenly they discover another person landing on their next illuminated stepping stone at the same time they reach out for it. Their first instinct is to fend off the intrusion and protect their solitary space. When neither concedes the path for the other, they travel on together in silence on parallel journeys. Soon they find that having someone to share their path is not really so uncomfortable, and they begin to welcome the company. They discover that though their journeys began in different places with different people, all of their experiences and lessons learned on their individual paths have led them to the same place in the forest. Now they are traveling the same path, anticipating the same adventures and their eventual return to a place of light. Their spirits become bonded, and they continue on in happiness together, not knowing if they will always and forever remain on the same path, or have to some day move on in different directions. From lessons learned in the past, they know that regardless of their ultimate destinations, once spirits are bonded, so they will always remain. They no longer fear the loneliness of traveling in solitude because they have faith that what they need, they will be given.

Whether we find it in solitude or in company, one day we will once again see the glowing light—the harbinger of things to come from shadows of things remembered. Soon we step once more into the love, joy and peace of its brilliance, flying free with stronger wings and larger hearts. This time the experience will be complete, and we will no longer be attracted to finding new and darker forests. Instead of looking for new challenges, we will find ourselves living in a state of contentment with our self-knowledge and our place in the world. After passing some time in this place of perfection, we will encounter a new sensory awareness. We will hear the cries and feel the fear of those who have come after us and who are still traveling their paths through the forest in search of their light. Feeling the depths of their anguish, we will be compelled to share our knowledge. Since we are now the embodiment of the light, we carry it with us wherever we choose to be. We can never be separated from it. We fly with the light to those lost on their paths of darkness and become their illumination. We light up each of the stepping stones along their paths. We become the guardian angels and the spirit guides. Some people are more lost than others and require more guidance. We want to just tell them to follow us back to the light, but we have learned from our own past journeys that individual pathways have to be freely chosen by the travelers in order for the necessary lessons to be learned. But even knowing that, we continue to entice them to choose the proper route. We use songs and books and dreams and other travelers. We even whisper to them in our quiet voices, which are difficult to hear over the noise of the physical world. Our hope is that they will pay attention and realize that everything is connected and points to one place. Sometimes we become frustrated at their failure to listen, and we become silent for long periods of time. But since we now carry our light with us, we are in no hurry. We patiently stay until they reach their level of higher understanding at which point we once again start illuminating their stepping stones, leading them to their ultimate destinations. Eventually they will find their own fulfillment in the light and will return to guide others who follow them through the forest.

It is no accident that a person born into abject poverty can rise to be the CEO of his own corporation, but you will find that charities receive a large share of his profits. It is no coincidence that a person who survived the concentration camps of World War II can grow to be a famous writer, but you will find that his themes are spiritual in nature. It is no surprise that a mother who loses a child to the recklessness of a drunk driver will go on to start an organization aimed at eliminating drinking and driving. A daughter who loses her mother to cancer at a young age will become an advocate for cancer research and a grief counselor to those who follow in her path. When we are true to our paths in spite of the sacrifices they require and the forests we must navigate, we can move mountains and create miracles.

And so we find the challenge—to seek our spiritual truth by discovering our true divine path. Sometimes it is not easy to discern. We have to listen and pay attention. If we are attentive, we will find the things that draw us in, the things that make us happy, and the things that bring passion to our lives.

These are the clues, and somewhere buried within them is the first illuminated stepping stone.