"Stories are medicine...
They have such power;
they do not require that we do, be, act anything
- we need only listen.
The remedies for repair or reclamation
or any lost psychic drive
are contained in stories."
There's a reason why Jesus taught in stories and parables.
They are so simple to understand,
yet so profound.
I love the story of Rumpelstiltskin.
When we were kids we loved hiding out in Grandma's attic.
It was the coolest place ever.
One of the things we liked to do,
besides playing with her dress up chest,
was watch VHS movies on her ancient tv.
We thought we were so cool, hiding up there,
knowing how to work the tv.
One of the tapes was Rumpelstiltskin by Timeless Tales,
and back in the day I thought it was bomb.
I still think it's pretty bomb.
Those Timeless Tales cartoons are awesome.
Anyways, back to the point.
Start Quote
knowing how to spin straw into gold
is probably the most important talent a woman can possess.
It can make the difference between living a life of lack
and living one of Simple Abundance...
[In case you've forgotten how the story goes,
here's a recap.]
A poor miller who is given to bragging meets a king who is known for his interest in accumulating riches. Wanting to impress him, the miller tells the king that his daughter possesses a rare talent - the ability to spin straw into gold. Skeptical but intrigued, the king orders the maiden to his castle, where he shows her a large room filled with straw. He then commands her to transform the straw into gold by the morning or lose her life.
Because this is an impossible task, the young woman succumbs to anguished weeping. What can save her? Suddenly, a strange little man appears in the room. "I can spin straw into gold. What will you give me in return?" he says. Stunned, the miller's daughter takes off a necklace that had been her mother's and gives it to him. At once the little man sets to work. The last thing the maiden remembers before she falls into deep slumber is the soft droning of the spinning wheel. At dawn the king finds the miller's daughter still asleep, surrounded by hundreds of spools of golden thread and not one wisp of straw.
The king is delirious with joy at what she's accomplished.
And though she wants to explain that
it isn't she who's performed this incredible feat,
she cannot bring herself to admit her incompetence.
If she did, what would become of her?
But her silence only increases her dilemma, for the greedy king leads her to an even larger room filled with straw, and again, she hears the royal command to spin it into gold if she values her life.
The second night passes like the first. This time the maiden offers the strange little man her ring in exchange for his magic. The following morning the king is again ecstatic to find the room overflowing with golden spools. But the miller's daughter still conceals the real story.
By the time the king leads her to a third straw-filled room,
this one the size of a great hall,
she realizes she has made terrible mistake.
Why has she not confessed her secret collaboration?
But it's already too late, for the king has promised to make her
his bride if she will spin the straw into gold once more.
This time, when the mysterious little man arrives during the night,
he finds the miller's daughter nearly beside herself
because she has nothing left to offer him.
"Never mind," he says.
"I will help you one more time
in exchange for your firstborn child."
"How can I possibly make so terrible a promise?" she asks herself.
Then she reasons that,
since no one will ever know about her secret accomplice,
she won't have to keep her end of the bargain.
And so, with her consent, the little man spins the straw into gold for the third time. The next day, the king makes the miller's daughter his queen, and, in her happiness, she soon forgets her promise.
[I don't know about you, but I think I'd be pretty upset if I had to marry the man who kidnapped me, put me in a room full of straw, and threatened my life if I didn't do an impossible task...
But to each his own I guess.]
A year passes and the queen gives birth to a handsome baby boy.
However, soon afterward, the little magician suddenly reappears in her bed chamber and demands the baby. The queen pleads for her child, offering the little man all the wealth of the royal kingdom, but her refuses. Overcome with grief, she falls to the floor weeping. Her clandestine collaborator, moved to pitty, grants the queen three days to discover his name, which he has always kept a secret. "If, by the end of that time, you can name my name, you may keep your child." Eventually, with the help of a clever, faithful servant, the queen discovers that the little magician is called Rumpelstiltskin.
She is able to keep her child, her crown, and her contentment.
"Stories are embedded with instructions
which guide us about the complexities of life,"
...Clarissa Pinkola Estes reminds us...
Today, contemplate the psychic path taken in this story.
When reflecting on dreams or fairy stories,
it's important to remember that all the characters
are inner aspects of ourselves.
You are not only the miller's daughter,
but the miller, the king, the faithful servant, the baby,
and Rumpelstiltskin.
Even more important, you are the straw and the gold.
End Quote
So, I think we can agree that she should have
said something from the get go.
All that stress could have been alleviated
if she had just told the truth.
All it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage
to just say "I can't spin straw into gold,"
no matter what the outcome or consequences.
She also had multiple chances to come clean,
which is usually how lies work.
Honesty would have ended the story.
Next the miller.
Don't make promises you can't keep.
Also, don't over exaggerate to make yourself feel better.
It doesn't make you feel better.
Lying never does.
Next the king.
Greed isn't good.
Don't kidnap people and threaten their lives.
He ended up with a lying wife who sold their firstborn son.
Next the faithful servant.
Be a good friend.
Help people get out of pickles,
even pickles of their own making.
Next the baby.
Don't sell your heart and soul.
And then of course Rumplestiltskin.
Robbie said "don't be an a$$hole."
Don't operate in the shadows.
Nothing good ever comes of it.
And last but not least, the straw into gold.
You can turn from something menial
into something magnificent.
What are your thoughts?
I'd love to hear them.
***
Gratitude Journal
***
1) Robbie. He took the boys this morning and let me sleep in. It was heavenly. And he did a ton of honeydos, like cut down part of the neighbors tree that has been dropping flowers in our yard all summer and has been driving me crazy because they are almost impossible to clean up and they are everywhere. He also did a lot of work on the keys, we'll have to finish them up tomorrow. And added a board to my wall frame! Much better now. We were just on a roll today, and it was awesome. I love honeydos, especially when they actually get done. So happy.
2) Date night.
3) Little boys. Jacob informed me today, that unlike Indy, he did not have a tail. He just has a butt. And that he has a penis, and Chase has a penis, and daddy has a penis, but mommy does not have a penis. In case you needed to know, you're welcome.
4) A cool breeze.
5) Mentholatum. I told you how it stops the itching of mosquito bites, right? I put it on, and the bites disappeared. They came back in the morning, I put it on again, disappeared again. This is day three, and instead of the bites being huge they are itty bitty little dots that hardly itch. Just a little more mentholatum, and they'll be gone by tomorrow. Yay! I'm also grateful for bug spray. I'm all for preventative measures.
6) Walmart. We got underwear for the twins! Potty training, for the last time, is happening on Monday.
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