The Quiet Ember

Maya: Welcome to The Quiet Ember. I’m Maya, and tonight we’re opening a little door into Moonpine Hollow... June: Ooh, a little door. I already like it in there. Maya: Me too. So, get cozy, if you can. Let your shoulders sink down... and take one slow breath with us. June: In... and out. No need to do anything else. Just listen. Maya: Deep in the hollow, beneath the moonpines and their soft silver needles, lived a very small dragon named Miri. June: The tiniest little dragon? Maya: Tiny paws, round bright eyes, and one warm ember tucked carefully inside her chest. But Miri kept that ember very, very small. June: Because she was shy? Maya: Yes. She worried that if it glowed too brightly, everyone would notice her. So each evening, she peeked from behind a mossy stone and watched the children playing near the hollow. June: She wanted to join... but not quite yet. Maya: Not quite yet. Miri curled her tail around her feet and whispered, “I’m too small to sparkle.” June: Oh, sweetheart. Small things can be lovely too. Maya: One evening, when the sky turned blueberry-blue, Miri’s ember gave the tiniest flicker. Just a soft gold blink. June: Like a firefly saying hello. Maya: A lone child named Rowan paused beside the path. Rowan looked toward the mossy stone and softly said, “I like quiet lights.” June: Mm. That was a very kind thing to say. Maya: Miri stayed still... but her ember glowed one little bit warmer. June: And we’ll leave her there, safe in the moonpine shadows. Maya: Sleep softly, friends. Next time, we’ll see what happens when Miri dares to glow again. June: Goodnight, little listeners.

Maya: Last time, in Embers in the Hollow, Miri’s little glow had almost peeked out... and Rowan had stayed very close. June: Mm-hm. No rushing. Just Rowan, sitting nearby, sharing one soft blanket. Maya: Miri tucked her paws beneath the woolly edge. “What if my spark is too small?” she whispered. June: Oh, sweet Miri. Sometimes the smallest light feels very big when it belongs to you. Maya: Rowan nodded. “You don’t have to show it,” Rowan said. “But I’d be glad to see it, if you want.” June: And Miri listened to that. She listened to the quiet hollow... and the warm, patient space beside her. Maya: Then, very slowly, under the blanket, one tiny ember blinked awake. June: Just one little golden dot. Maya: Miri’s cheeks warmed. “My spark is shy.” June: Rowan smiled. “That spark is perfect.” Maya: Miri looked at the ember. It glowed, then softened, like it was breathing. June: So Rowan made a tiny game. “When we breathe in,” Rowan said, “your ember can glow. When we breathe out, it can rest.” Maya: Miri tried it. In... the ember warmed. Out... it curled into a sleepy little glow. June: “Again?” she asked, with a small breathy giggle. Maya: Again they played. Glow... rest. Glow... rest. Soon Miri’s shoulders felt loose and cozy. June: And if you have a shy little feeling tonight, you can let it be small. Small is lovely. Maya: Snuggle in close, dear one. Let your own quiet light rest. Maya: Miri curled beneath the blanket and whispered, “Goodnight, little ember...”