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I found this story in my email box from my mom this morning and thought I'd share.



A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Target.



We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.



The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in "Mom let's run through the rain," she said. "What?" Mom asked.

"Lets run through the rain!" she repeated.

"No, honey, we'll wait until it slows down a bit," mom replied.

This young child waited about another minute and repeated: "Mom, let's run through the rain."

"We'll get soaked if we do" mom said.

"No, we won't, mom...that's not what you said this morning" the young girl said as she tugged at her mom's arm.

This morning? when did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?

Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, "If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!"



The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes.

Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

"Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If GOD let's us get wet, well maybe we just need washing" mom said.



Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and a laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just incase. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.



And yes, I did. I ran, I got wet. I needed washing.



Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories....so, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. I hope you still take the time to run through the rain.



They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them. Send this to the people you'll never forget and remember to also send it to the person who sent it to you. It's a short message to let them know that you'll never forget them.

If you don't send it to anyone, it means your in a hurry.

Take the time to live!!!

Keep in touch with your friends, you never know when you'll need each other -- and don't forget to run in the rain!

In Native American culture, a dreamcatcher is a handmade object based on a hoop that was traditionally made out of willow, incorporating a loose net, and decorated with items unique to the particular dreamcatcher. There is a traditional belief that a dreamcatcher filters a person's dreams, letting through only the good dreams. There are related legends.



Dreams~Throughout history, nearly every person and culture has placed importance on the meanings of dreams - archetypical messages from 'the other side' - given by various sources - that must be interpreted by their symbology and content. Today, dreams are still a powerful force in many people's lives, particularly because of the meanings that can be found in them. Whether dreams are good or bad, they can inspire, confuse, or upset the dreamer.



In the Ojibway tribe, night visions, or dreams, were so important that children were not given a name until after a person designated as the "namer" of that child had a dream as to what he/she should be called. The namer might give the child a charm woven to look like a spider's web in order to protect the baby's dreams.



Dreamcatchers are an authentic American Indian tradition, from the Ojibway (Chippewa) tribe. The people would tie sinew strands in a web around a small round or tear-shaped frame - in a some what similar pattern to how they tied webbing for Ojibway snowshoes - and hang this "dream-catcher" as a charm to portect sleeping children from nightmares. The legend is that the bad dreams will get caught in the web.



The Dreamcatcher allegedly helps us remember our dreams. It is regarded by some as a serious tool that is much more than a decorative ornament. The opening in the center determines the volume that you are asking to receive and parallels the changes that will occur in your life.



Legend 1



Long ago in the ancient world of the Ojibwe Nation, the Clans were all located in one general area of that place known as Turtle Island.



This is the way that the old Ojibwe storytellers say how Asibikaashi (Spider Woman) helped Wanabozhoo bring giizis (sun) back to the people.



To this day, Asibikaashi will build her special lodge before dawn. If you are awake at dawn, as you should be, look for her lodge and you will see this miracle of how she captured the sunrise as the light sparkles on the dew which is gathered there.



Asibikaasi took care of her children, the people of the land, and she continues to do so to this day.



When the Ojibwe Nation dispersed to the four corners of North America, to fill a prophecy, Asibikaashi had a difficult time making her journey to all those cradle boards, so the mothers, sisters, and Nokomis (grandmothers) took up the practice of weaving the magical webs for the new babies using willow hoops and sinew or cordage made from plants.



It is the shape of a circle to represent how gizistravels each day across the sky.



The dream catcher will filter out all the bad dreams and allow only good thoughts to enter into our minds when we are just abinooji. You will see a small hole in the center of each dream catcher where those good dreams may come through. With the first rays of sunlight, the bad dreams would perish.



When we see little asibikaashi, we should not fear her, but instead respect and protect her. In honor of their origin, the number of points where the web connected to the hoop numbered 8 for Spider Woman's eight legs or 7 for the Seven Prophecies.



It was traditional to put a feather in the center of the dream catcher; it means breath, or air.



It is essential for life. A baby watching the air playing with the feather on her cradleboard was entertained while also being given a lesson on the importance of good air.



This lesson comes forward in the way that the feather of the owl is kept for wisom (a woman's feather) and the eagle feather is kept for courage ( a man's feather). This is not to say that the use of each is restricted by gender, but that to use the feather each is aware of the gender properties she/he is invoking. (Indian people in general are very specific about gender roles and identity.)



To be continued.