SUNRISE AT SHIPSTONE ROCK

June 5th, 1968

The gentle silence of sunrise is a good time of day.  Each day begins; with all that there is, in God's good hands.  As we live moment to moment, our awakening has us inherit all that those before us sacrificed for. 

It is past midnight and Bea turns on her call light.  A young man answers her call. At age 19 he is working the late hours in order to attend nursing school during the day. 

- Bea? - your light is on.  How can I help you? -

- Oh Ray, you're working late again tonight. -

- Yes m'am, I surely am. -

- Are you having pain Bea? -

- No my Ray, there is no pain, I am however, glad to know that you are here.  Before I leave, I need to talk with you.  But for now, I need you to call my family and my Minister.  I need to see them now.

- Bea, it is three o'clock in the morning.  How about if I call them at sunrise; it's just a few hours away?

- Ray, I won't be here.   Please call them now.  I do however wish to ask you about Ellie, so after I see my family please be sure to come in and see me.

Ray, though perplexed about Bea's knowledge about Ellie, acknowledges her request as he rushes to the phone to advise the charge nurse, who immediately visits Bea at her bedside.

- Bea?  Its Lydia, honey,  are you having pain?

- Hello Lydia – how is it that I'm so lucky to have my Ray, and my Lydia with me tonight?  We all knew that the cancer would catch up to me sooner than later.  I am grateful however that the pain has finally gone away.  I need you to call my family and my Minister as well.  I wish to see them before I pass. 

Lydia Immediately calls Bea's Family, her Minister and her doctor.  It is just past 3 AM and within minutes all are at Bea's bedside.

- Mom, its Harry – are you having pain?

- No my son.  But I ask that you be strong.  Please know that I love you.

Harry's bows his head to hide his tears –

- Yes, mother and I love you; I will do all that you ask.

- Please see after your brother and sisters.  I have created a trust that you must administer. 

- Yes, mother – I will.

- There is an Urn I have chosen – it is my wish that it be taken to the Village of Shipstone Rock.  -

Bea finishes her instructions to Harry and proceeds to speak privately with the Reverend.

- Father, I've always loved the chapel at the base of Bridle Vail Falls.  I married there once, to one who loved me true.  Though I married him for security, Father, his love for me was unconditional.  I feel fortunate; for many never know such love. My husband was good to me; but he was not so lucky.  Whenever I reached for his hand it was always lovingly there; strong and supportive.  I refused to dishonor him and therefore always stayed at his side.  I wish that you remember me always in that light; even though you are aware of how I secretly held my true love for another.

- Yes Bea, I remember your husband well.  I remember especially the stories he wrote for you.

- Yes Father, it was the most wondrous part of his beauty.  He could always see beyond the veils of life.

- Yes, he certainly could - my favorite story has always been "The Chapel at Shipstone Rock."  I love it so much I know it by memory.

The good Father closes his eyes for just a moment, and then with a deep breath begins -

"There is a legend from a time long passed, of an eternal flame revealing images of truth.

A few chosen can see the ages, and the sojourner, traveling from afar coming to rest at the base of a water fall, entering the Village Chapel near Shipstone Rock. There, near the Altar, where an Urn is destining to be, a man poorly dressed kneels. To him a sermon is dedicated. The congregation encircles him with prayer. Their Minister begins his sermon embracing the theme of weather. When he is done adjacent doors are opened to rows of tables filled with food and all present refrain of the feast.

Questions are left unanswered; the caldron dims true to life, the labyrinth of truth to be revealed only with the passage of time, with the one primary question to the traveler.  Are you willing to love unconditionally; with all of your heart, with your entire mind, with all of your soul?"

The priest telling the story as he remembers it then opens his eyes to look directly at Bea -

- Bea don't judge yourself so harshly.   I'm not the only one who knows this story by heart.  Only those who truly love, teach the riddle of the Caldron.

Bea finishes her confession to the good Father, and after a few more moments with her priest, she then asks to speak with Ray.

- Ray, have you answered your question? –

- How on earth did you know about that, Bea? –

- This is not about the earth, Ray – but about heaven, and all its angels; you see, Ellie visits me as well.

Suddenly there is the echo of sweet and loving laughter from a child hidden within that realm which cannot be seen.  A chill runs up and down the nape of Ray's neck.

 Ray, the answer to your question is, yes – you are not only a healer, you are chosen from lifetimes ago.

Bea gathers the last of her strength, and begins to remind Ray of the legend of the caldron to be found near a chapel; as she does, the eternal flame appears over them, burning with gentleness and giving her strength.  Its spire begins to flare, revealing the forgotten images of Shipstone Rock; the labyrinth now revealed. 

The traveler, perplexed by what he had witnessed before, begins to see the man poorly dressed has just arrived from having been unjustly imprisoned. 

Bea rests for a moment to regain her breath – she then continues -

The entire congregation has worked hard to assist in proving his innocence, and thus in thanksgiving the sermon dedicated to him.  The community of farmer's long-suffering the effects of drought have their Minister focus on their concern of weather as he prays for their crops; and the gathered food for a feast had been prepared for the homeless and the hungry.

Bea continues -

The traveler from afar having initially witnessed only a small part of what this community was about; suffering the disadvantage of not having seen the whole of life, is now wiser for answering this question of his own final truth. 

Bea squeezes Ray's hand, tightly.  Ray reaches over gently and adjusts her oxygen.  Bea takes what may be one last deep breath, and says -

When you are 5 minutes from death, will you regret your judgments of apparent truth, or sleep within the heart of God? 

Bea's voice weakens and then cracks

So should we be, vigilant in our views of the whole of life.

As Bea wished, family and friends went home to rest.  Ray sits quietly with Bea as the sun begins to rise.  Holding her hand, she closes her eyes for the last time.  To sleep within the heart of God; prepared to say her goodbyes, all along knowing that she would never forget, nor be forgotten.  Her peace and tranquility goes forward in the spoken and written word, all with images reflected off the surface of the earth – traveling endlessly through the universe to that realm that belongs only to God.  Ray continues to hold her hand; Ellie close by acknowledges Ray with a sweet and warm touch on his shoulder.  Ellie then raises her arms and hands toward the heavens and twirls beyond the veils of life.

The Past, the future – all are the same.  There is one and one constant only that never changes.  To love with all of your heart, with your entire mind, and with all of your soul; to dream of all that should be, and is not, but will be, because you refuse not to love.

The gentle silence of sunrise is a good time of day.  Each day begins; with all that there is, in God's good hands.  As we live moment to moment, our awakening has us inherit all that those before us sacrificed for.