by Natalie Ledford
Rockhound
Copywrite 2022
Dedicated to Blaine and Schalles, my two favorite rock hounds.
Out on the desert, he was hunting one day
For rocks that would be seen as much more
Like agates and such
that don’t seem like much
But when broken and polished reveal colors and patterns that catch everyone’s eye.
It was hot;
it was not easy to walk
as he scanned the ground for a sign
of something much better
than he could remember
till the eye of the rockhound caught a glimpse
and he reached down
to see what he had found.
Then tucking it into his sack,
he shuffled on as the sun beat down.
Were these treasures,
things to remember
or was he just wasting time?
But as he walked,
he thought of all the treasures inside.
To him it was magic,
yet to others, it just looked like hard work.
Hiking and hauling pounds of rocks through the heat.
Was it really worth the labor and time?
He just smiled and carried on.
He knew the secret,
the joy of contentment
though searching for so much more.
The journey, the lessons
and learning to see
was found in the carrying on,
for who knew when the most valuable rocks would be found.
Take another step,
evaluate and learn,
continue to grow,
be open to see
the value in what doesn’t appear to have any.
These are the lessons he taught me.
Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, Natalie has a fierce independence and wild adventurous heart. Nat has always been a hands-on person with a love for life, beauty and celebration. She has a degree in horticulture and training in music, carpentry, interior design, floral design and life coaching. Natalie spent time as an intern at a church and went on several ministry trips to places like the Philippines, Japan and India. She was involved heavily in music over the years with several orchestras, choirs and worship groups. She has also dabbled in many things including beekeeping, welding, machinery operation, large quantity cooking and gardening. She loves learning and trying new things. She thrives by being in the outdoors and enjoys making music with friends, preparing and eating good food, contemplation and communing with God through prayer, worship, dance, and journaling, or as she calls it, musing. Right now she is writing music and poetry and is in the early stages of writing a book. She hopes to be healed so she can go on to do many more things…travel, beekeeping, starting a farm and training others in practical ways to become their best selves with life skills and inner freedom.
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