There’s an empire above the clouds. You can’t see it. Can’t hear it even.
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But that doesn’t mean it’s not there. You can’t see or hear the air, can you? But’s it’s there, and it keeps us alive.
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Not many people know of this empire, or they forgot the tale with age, but I keep it close to my heart still.
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The story goes that a crystal-eyed dragonfly once wanted to fly up and up into the air, higher than any before, to look down on the world and everything on it. So he trained and trained, and eventually, he soared above the clouds.
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He didn’t know what he would find. Birds who wanted to eat him? Giants like in those old tales? Planes who flew faster than anything else? He didn’t know, and when he realized that, he couldn’t help but fly back down to the earth.
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One day, when he was feeling sad and hopeless, he met a bumblebee by the name of Espoir. He wasn’t like the dragonfly. No crystal eyes, no rainbow wings, just a furry black and yellow body and eyes like coal.
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When he saw the dragonfly, he flew over and asked, “Why is the dragonfly not flying high like he so often does?”
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The dragonfly answered, “Because I am scared of what is beyond the clouds. I don’t know if I will come down, or if giants will keep me as a pet.”
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Espoir laughed and smiled kindly at the beautiful creature. “You don’t fly because of what you can’t see? You can’t see the wind, can you? But it carries you, helps you and me to fly.”
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The bee was hardworking and busy, so after that sentence, he flew off back to his hive. The dragonfly thought about flying again, and decided to take the bee’s advice.
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Up and up he flew once more, and this time he dared not look down nor into the future. He just focused on the present, for the present is a gift is it not?
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He made it above the clouds and looked down.
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“And look!” he couldn’t help but cry.
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Beautiful white clouds and a beautiful blue and green world. No giants and no nasty birds or planes. Just the clean air and a newfound courage.
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He ruled there forever on as an empire, the one above the clouds, coming to children in this tale and others to tell them that you should not be scared to stretch your wings, to not be scared of what lies ahead.
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Life is a journey. Life needs such courage.
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He named that empire Espoir, after the one who had faith in him. Do you know what that name and word means now?
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Hope.
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As the dragonfly rules over the Empire of Hope, so do you have the power to rule the empire of your dreams.
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Soar high, and don’t forget such a beautiful empire.
