Newsletter Articles written by Tera Thomas
Issue 6
How the Sheep Brought Peace to New York City
(and possibly the world)
by Tera Thomas and Mary
Mary had a beautiful life, one that would be the envy of many. She had a pasture with a view, good friends of all species, and the gift of leisure time. But, lately she had been concerned about how stressed out people were becoming all over the world, and how they were making themselves sick, even dying because of that stress. Someone had to do something to get the people back on track and, who better than her to do it. Mary called together a flock of sheep and they set out for New York City.
The flock traveled the fields and small roads for a few days and finally they reached Brooklyn. You can imagine the stir they caused when people began to notice them. When the flock crossed the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan excitement filled the air. People stopped their cars to look and point and laugh. “Good!” Mary said to the flock. “You see, they’re laughing, it’s working already!”
News teams arrived in vans and helicopters. “What’s going on?” they shouted, shoving microphones into the faces of the dumbfounded people who shrugged their shoulders. “Follow us to the park,” said Mary. “We’ll tell you then.”
There was quite a procession across Houston, through Washington Square and up Fifth Avenue toward Central Park. Thousands of people followed the flock, dancing, singing, and laughing. People leaned out of windows, “What’s happening?” they’d shout. “We’re going to the park with the sheep!” the people in the street would yell back. “Come join us.” And the people would quickly leave their windows and run down to the street to join the parade.
When the procession crossed in front of The Plaza, people in limos got out and joined them. They all crossed the street into the park and traveled down to a section known as the Sheep’s Meadow. Here the sheep stopped, lowered their heads and began to graze.
The hoards of people following them weren’t sure what to do. Were they at their destination? What was going to happen now? The newsmen shoved microphones into the crowd. “Okay, tell us what’s going on.” The crowd hemmed and hawed and stammered that they didn’t know.
“We’ve had a long trip,” Mary piped up. “Relax for a few minutes.” Mary went back to the business of chewing grass.
The reporters looked at each other nonplussed. Did that sheep just talk to us? Then they looked back at the hoards of people who had followed the sheep here. They shrugged their shoulders and sat to watch the sheep graze. The huge crowd sat too. At first everyone was talking and laughing, but, slowly, the crowd settled down and grew silent, calmly, patiently, watching the sheep.
After a time, the sheep finished grazing and lay down so serenely in the grass, looking out at the crowd. Mary began to speak:
“We have been concerned about you people. We have seen how the world is changing and how everything is so urgent, and how you have all taken it upon yourselves to go more, see more, and do more than is really good for you. You have become disappointed in your achievements, you push yourselves harder, and you are filled with stress and anxiety. Your hearts cannot take it; your souls cannot take it. You need to slow down, have a little peace in your lives. Each of you must make a space for peace in your own heart. How else can we have peace in the world?
“As sheep, it is our job to radiate peace and calm. How many people picture sheep on a hillside as a vision of serenity? Why do people count sheep to get to sleep at night? They don’t count cats or dogs, that’s for sure! People sing about us in lullabies to calm the little babies. Of course they are calmed and people can fall asleep thinking of us. It’s our job.”
A Reporter interrupted, “I have heard that sheep are dumb animals. What do you have to say to that?”
“Some say that,” Mary smiled serenely and thought to herself—if they knew how smart we really are they’d never fall asleep!
“We came here to bring peace and calm because you need it in your lives,” Mary resumed. “So many of you have too much on your minds and it’s hard to find that space of serenity within yourselves. Think of sheep, picture us in your mind, breathe deeply, feel our soft spongy wool, let our essence calm your mind and clear a space of peace within you. This is good advice for all of you. It will make your lives richer.”
Mary closed her eyes and began slowly and pleasurably chewing her cud. The reporters who thought they’d had a lot of questions suddenly forgot them and laid their microphones down. Soon a feeling of calm and serenity fell over the crowd and, one-by-one, they laid back in the grass. It was a beautiful day, they all noticed. Not a cloud in the sky, not a care in the world.
New York City changed that day. The people who had been in the crowd took a sense of peace back to their homes, to their jobs. At first, there were those who didn’t like this new approach. Bosses didn’t like their employees slowing down. But soon they realized that when the work was approached from a calm, centered place, a lot got done and it was very effective. When anyone did lose their peace of mind and behave in the old way, someone would say to them, “Oh, go to the park!” And the person would. And they would sit with the sheep and they would come back feeling better.
Soon the whole city of New York was like a fairy tale land. There was no traffic, no yelling in the streets, no horns honking, no homeless people. Instead there was magic and joy in the air. People smiled at each other, and talked to each other, and helped each other. Dignitaries from other countries came to find out what the secret was so they could take it back to their own people.
Back in the Sheep’s Meadow the flock had just finished grazing and lay peacefully chewing their cuds. “Well, girls,” Mary said, “I think it’s time for us to move on.”
“Move on?” asked one of the sheep. “Where?”
“There’s a whole world out there that needs us,” Mary said. “We could hit Philadelphia next, then go on to D.C. There’s a lot of territory to be covered. We don’t want to end up like the people doing more than is healthy for us so I think maybe we need to recruit some more sheep, send ‘em out on the road in the other direction. Maybe we can mobilize a West Coast bunch and get ‘em moving out there too. This job is bigger than I thought at first, but with help we can do it.”
And so Mary’s campaign for peace began moving across the United States. Many, many sheep signed on, and more are joining up every day. If the sheep have not yet been to your city, don’t despair; they are on their way. And, in the meantime, you can simply think of sheep and bring a little peace into your life.
Mary was a most wonderful sheep being who lived at Spring Farm CARES in Clinton, New York. She was a diligent teacher for all who came to Spring Farm to learn animal communication. Mary and I wrote this story together in 1996. She is no longer in her body, but Mary lives in the hearts of all who knew her.
