The Prayer Crystal

In a small village, in the most remote part of the world, a young man worried incessantly about his life. There wasn’t anything inherently wrong about his life. He had a young wife, an unborn child, and a small group of friends who only wanted the best for him. His dwelling was humble, his fields were fertile, and his days were calm. Every morning he would wake and give thanks for such a simple life, his prayer crystal in hand, a gift given to him at birth. 

However, one morning, before anyone else was awake, he stirred from his sleep only to discover, it was gone. He searched all over the village, the fields, the wells, and yet, found nothing in his efforts. And so, feeling its absence more and more with every panicked moment he left his home in search of the delicate crystal.

He travelled the world.

He sailed across every ocean to the backdrop of majestic sunrises, eerie green lights that shimmered in the night sky, and beautiful moonlit waves with stars that peered down at the myriad of ships in the water.

He trekked the highest peaks, his eyes searching beneath every stone and in every crevice he passed. He did not hear the multitude of bizarre languages that sang around him, nor did he converse with any of the cultures he encountered. Instead, he focused on the search for his crystal. Into the depths of the largest canyons, across the widest rivers, in the greenest forests, and the most endless of deserts, he searched and yet found nothing for his efforts.

Years passed, and as he felt time ache through his body, he decided to give up on his search and return home, defeated.

When he returned to his village, in the most remote part of the world, he had no possessions, no riches, and barely wore enough rags to cover his thin body. His eyes held the bitter shame of wanting, his lips were chapped with winds and unsung melodies, his arms shook from the lack of embrace, and his feet, merely shuffled along the fertile fields of his home lost still. In the early hours of morning, before anyone else was awake, a young child ran up to him as he approached in the early morning light.

“Good morning! Welcome home great grand-father!” Said the excited child.

“Great grandfather?” Asked the weary old man.

“Yes! You’re my great-grandfather!”

“And how would you know such a thing? Who I am to you?” He asked.

“Because my grandmother told me about your prayer crystal. Her mother told her that it was the most beautiful crystal she had ever seen, and now that I see it, I know, it’s true.” The young child exclaimed.

Confused, the weary old man knelt down to the child as the sun grew brighter upon his face. “Don’t mock me child. I’ve searched the world several times over for my crystal and found nothing.”

The child reached forward and plucked the crystal from the forehead of the weary old man. “It’s beautiful,” he said as he held it up to the morning sunlight.

The weary old man’s eyes were illuminated in the reflection of the crystal and for a moment he felt a wave of relief. He sighed, and looking to his great-grandchild, smiled at the glimmer in his eyes. “I want you to have it,” said the weary old man.

He stood up, once more, and returned home to see what he had missed.

How much time have we spent searching for meaning in life? Searching for who we truly are? Searching for a truth, a reason, some calling, to make sense of why we are here? How many hours have you spent, yourself, mulling over questions about what your life is about? Who you are in this world of pre-defined personas and marketed lifestyles, where do you fit in?

The reality to all of these questions, the answer, is simple: you are entirely complete unto yourself. You are missing nothing, nor did you come into this life with some pre-defined hole that only a specific deity, brand, product, service, or substance can fill. I can assure you, when you arrived in this world, your life was enough to live for. And yet, we find ourselves among the ranks of so many that came before us, searching for meaning, identity, purpose, and belonging.

One of the gravest mistakes anyone can make in their life, is neglecting the beauty of the time afforded to them, in search of a reason for its existence. Do not go searching for prayer crystals when you merely need a mirror to save you the trouble. Look into yourself, and you will find exactly what you’re searching for. You may not find it immediately, but that is the torment of youth: being impatient in the face of so much time. You’re more likely to find whatever you’re searching for with tenured eyes, aged from struggle, tragedy, and learned patience.

Please realize that you are where you are supposed to be, all the time. You are who you are meant to be, right now and for every moment to follow. The path you are on, is where you are meant to be, (you wouldn’t be on it if it weren’t meant for you). You are not born into this life incomplete, nor do you leave this life without having served your purpose.

So relax.

Wake in the morning, breathe, celebrate this life of yours, and do not let anyone convince you, you aren’t enough in this life of yours.