I dug in the sand in the backyard for hours. The cool grains flowed through my fingertips like tiny dry waterfalls that collected below into miniature mountains. It was satisfying to watch.

Even more satisfying were the little green seeds mixed in. The backyard was sprinkled with them this time of year. They fell from the trees above my head and dusted the earth with their presence, adding areas of color to my otherwise beige sandpit.

I captured great scoops of this mixture into my little turtle-shaped dish, which I used as my imaginary cookware. Taking a nearby twig into my hands, I stirred lovingly this granulous soup. I watched spiraling ridges form with each pass of the twig, and began drawing patterns and letters with gentle strokes.

I wanted to smooth the surface of my mixture so I could begin again. Dropping the twig, I picked up my dish with two hands and began to shake it back and forth to eradicate any signs of my previous creation.

A blank slate.

As I shook this dish, something amazing happened. The surface of my mixture changed before my eyes from a green and brown mottling to a surface completely made of green.

I paused and looked with wonder as I realized all of the little green seeds were now resting on top of the sand.

“Mom, mom! Look at this!” I had run all the way from the backyard and into the kitchen just to show her this bit of magic.

I showed her what happened when I stirred. I showed her what happened when I shook.

“Ah yes,” my mother said, “When you shake the dish, all of the tiny grains of sand fall through the spaces between the larger seeds. The seeds are not magically floating up to the top, but rather, the sand is sinking between them to the bottom.”

I thought for a moment, realizing there must be a lesson in this, and indeed there is.

You don’t always have to struggle to get to the top–sometimes it’s equally effective to just not fall through the cracks when life gives you a good shake.

(C) 2021 Barbara Gray – no content may be used or reproduced without permission of the author