The Celestial Maiden

The American Thinker ^ | Feb. 20, 2005 | Clarice Feldman

[Kitten Festival]

When I was a child someone gave me a beautifully illustrated book of children's stories from around the world. My younger sister's favorite was "The Celestial Maiden" and she begged me to read it to her over and over again. In the tale a poor Japanese woman prays for a child. One day she finds a tiny maiden lying on a leaf in her garden. She takes the maiden into her home and cares for her, happy that her prayers have been granted. As nightfall approaches, the maiden reveals that she is a celestial princess who must return home before sunset and promises to return to the woman who loves her. She leaves her tears on the leaves in the garden because she is sad to go. Each evening the woman looks into the sky to see her daughter and every morning she sees the dew, proof of her daughter's visits.

I think of the Celestial Maiden as I squint at the latest sonogram of my granddaughter-to-be, e-mailed to me by her parents. She's lying regally in the dark womb as the background is filled with tiny flecks of lights, like stars,

Her parents have yet to select a name for her. When they first learned of her existence they asked her Japanese-born grandmother, Mitsuyo, for a name. "Saya," she said. (It means clear, brilliant.) They asked her if she had a name for a boy, in case the baby was a male. "Why should I give you a boy's name? It's going to be a girl," she replied.

Mitsuyo has a connection with living things we can only marvel at. Each time we arrive for a visit, she shares with us exquisite orchids and luscious, exotic citrus fruits she's grown in her garden.

[Kitten Festival]

Words can't describe how beautiful and moving this essay is. Click on to read the whole thing.