Glisten the Dewdrop: A Gentle Garden Adventure

The little dewdrop clung to the tip of a clover leaf. He was perfectly round, and perfectly clear. The whole world was reflected inside him. The moon, the stars, the dark, quiet garden. Just last night, we saw Flicker the Firefly dancing in this same moonlight. Tonight, a different tiny friend was having a quiet adventure. This little dewdrop’s name was Glisten. Glisten loved his home on the clover leaf. It was smooth and green and swayed like a gentle cradle in the breeze.

From his perch, he could see the whole sleeping world. He saw a sleepy ladybug tucking her spotted wings in for the night. He watched a garden spider carefully polishing her web. Each strand shone like spun silver in the moonlight. So very beautiful. A soft breeze began to whisper through the garden. Whooosh, it sighed, brushing past the tall, silent flowers. Glisten’s leaf began to rock, back and forth, back and forth. He held on tight, but he wasn’t scared.

He was curious. Down below, the world was a soft, dark mystery. It was a giant forest of grass and a plush carpet of moss. He could see other dewdrops on other leaves, all around him. Each one held a tiny, perfect star inside. They looked like a string of fairy lights, draped all over the garden. Glisten wondered what it was like down there. Was the moss as soft and springy as it looked? What did the world smell like from the ground? He imagined the rich scent of the dark earth.

The breeze came back, a little stronger this time. It was a playful puff of air, full of mischief. It tickled the clover leaf, making it dip and sway. Glisten felt himself begin to slide. Just a little at first. A tiny, slow, slippery slide toward the very edge. Oh, he thought. It’s time for my adventure to begin. The leaf dipped down, down, down. It became a little green slide, made just for him. And with a tiny, silent plink, Glisten let go. He wasn’t falling.

Oh, no. That sounds much too fast. He was gliding. For one magical moment, he floated in the cool night air. He was a tiny, sparkling jewel, tumbling in slow motion. He saw the moon upside down, winking at him. He saw the sleepy ladybug as a tiny red and black dot. It was a wonderful, topsy-turvy, weightless journey. A journey that lasted only a single, happy heartbeat. He landed with the softest of whispers. Not on hard, cold ground, but in the deep, velvety cushion of moss.

Oh, it was even softer than he had imagined. It was like landing on a green, living cloud. Cool and damp and smelling of nighttime and fresh soil. And he wasn't alone anymore. All around him were other dewdrops, winking in the moonlight. The ones he’d seen from his leaf. They had all slid down to the mossy floor, too. They rolled toward each other, gently, gently. One by one, they touched. And when they touched, a little magic happened. Glisten rolled into another dewdrop, and suddenly they were ONE.

Bigger, and brighter, and holding twice the starlight. Then another joined, and another. Soon, they were a tiny, shimmering pool nestled in the moss. A perfect little puddle of captured starlight and moonbeams. Glisten was still there, of course. But now he was part of something MORE. He still held the moon inside him. But now, all his new friends held the moon, too. Together, they shone as one bright, peaceful light in the quiet garden. Safe, and sound, and waiting for the warmth of the morning sun.

Now, it's time for you to drift off, too. Close your eyes and feel as cozy as Glisten. Safe and sound in your own soft bed. Sweet dreams, my dear.