A test of courage

The legend of the Cherokee Indian Youth's Rite of Passage!

His father takes him into the forest - blindfolded - and leaves him.
He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not take off the
blindfold until
the ray of the morning sun shines through it.

He is all by himself. He cannot cry out for help to anyone.
Once he survives the night he is a MAN.
He cannot tell the other boys of this experience.
Each Lad must come into his own manhood.

The boy was terrified.
He could hear all kinds of noises.

Beasts were all around him.
Maybe even some human would hurt him.

The wind blew the grass and it shook his stump.
But he sat there, never removing the blindfold.

It was the only way he could be a Man.

Finally, after a horrific night, the sound of the night
disappeared.

He could feel the warmth of the sun.

He removed his blindfold.

It was then that he saw his father - sitting on the stump next to
him - on watch the entire night.

The same holds true for us.
We are never alone.

Even w hen we do not know it,
Our Father in Heaven is protecting us.
He is sitting on the stump beside us.




Indian blood is like gold,
no matter how thinly it is stretched,
it shines just as brightly.

Eduardo

P.S. Thanks to Inga for sending me this!