The garbage can is full again. I drag it inside and empty it over the floor, adding to the foot of water already standing in the house. The bathtub and the sinks have been running nonstop fo ... [+]
Once a long time ago, there lived a small native family. A mommy, a daddy and two children. Of course a boy and a girl. This family lived happily near a big river, overlooking a mountain. They were able to hunt, fish and pick berries; no problem. It was a lot of work, but they were living off the land with plenty to eat.
Then one day there was an accident. Mommy was ice fishing, fishing brought out the animals who were also hungry from winter. The appearance of the other animals attracted to the fish, not paying attention, she backed up and went through the hole. She couldn't find her way back up and died. It made her family very sad that she was gone.
She may have died, but her spirit still lived. She watched her family cry and mop around their home. Watched her husband cry near the fire when the kids were sleeping. Watched her babies pray to the ancestors for her back. She could see them, she could hear them. But learned with her being a spirit, she couldn't touch or talk to them.
The mommy wanted to find a way to let her family know she was fine, she was happy and she was watching. She looked around the space. It looked like the land of the living, only the animals were frolicking and singing their songs. However they were doing it in space. Even the fish were joining the woodland creatures. She looked to her hands, which were empty, she would never hold fans again. But she started to dance and sing anyway, her family needed her to dance and sing.
She danced and sang long and hard. She was scared they wouldn't see, wouldn't know she was watching. But the animal spirits with her; saw what she was doing, felt bad for her, and started to dance and sing their songs too. Soon, the living could see flashes of blue, red and green across the night sky. Not just the humans, but all creatures of the land; from the air, the land to the water, descendants could see the dancing figures.
The mommy's family looked to the sky and saw her with the animals dancing. They saw she was smiling and dancing hard for them. Their tears dried and they were in awe of her. She was beautiful dancing with wolves, bears, caribou, eagles and fish. Animals and creatures that weren't supposed to coexist, were.
The family cheered, laughed and sang. They started to dance and frolic in the snow, happy they could see their mother and the creatures with her.. No longer sad that she wasn't with them. They knew she was with them, just couldn't see her all the time. She lets them know when she is ready, she is happy and safe, waiting for them.
The northern lights are our ancestors, letting us know they have not left us. Letting us know we are never alone. We may not hear them, or see them daily. But we can always watch the night sky for them dancing. Eventually they will show themselves. And when they do, it is that much more special.