The Day Ruby Shroo was Born

On this day little Ruby, who will become one of the most powerful glimmers, was born because a courageous truth was told by a little boy named Dennis McKnee, Now here is how I heard the story.

In a little town, on a little street, in a little house lived the McKnee family. There were three children living there. Dennis, who was the oldest, Murray, who was the middle child, and Darla, who was the youngest.

Now Dennis, who had just turned seven years old, was like any other little kid. Not too big and not too small. Not too fast and not too slow. Not too loud and not too quiet. He was an boy. A normal boy.

On this particular day it was raining and when you are seven that means you canʼt go outside to play.

“No playing outside,” is what their mother had said.

See, no playing outside.

So Dennis was playing inside. He was playing in his living room with his little brother and sister. Now, Murray was five and Darla was three and since Dennis was the oldest Murray and Darla always listened to what he said and on this day, Dennis wished he had listened to what his mother had said.

“Donʼt play ball in the living room Dennis, I have lots of expensive things in here,” his mother had told him over and over.

“Donʼt play ball in the living room” seemed to echo in his head.

He knew what his mom had said but this was baseballʼs biggest day, the World Series. Bottom of the ninth and if he pitched this last ball and mighty Murray missed it Dennis would be the hero.

His mom didn’t understand this. She didn’t understand how important the world series was.

Dennis looked around at the men on base. The bases were loaded and it was up to him to strike Murray out.

“Three balls and two strikes with loaded bases and I must imagine McKnees must be really nervous,” he heard the announcer say.

He was pitching for the Yankees and he had one more strike to throw.

“What harm could one more ball toss cause,” Dennis thought.

Darla, who was the catcher, had already been hit in the head three times with the ball and she didn’t get hurt. It was a whiffle ball. Soft and light.

Dennis looked at the whiffle ball in his hand. He felt a hush come over the crowd.

As Dennis looked around he could see the ball park was packed. People all looking at him.

Dennis did his wind up and then the pitch. Murray closed his eyes and swung the bat and all that was heard was the bat hitting the whiffle ball and a crash.

“CRASH,” was what the lamp screamed. The sound was deafening. The crowd went crazy.

Dennis looked at the lamp, then looked at Murray who had walked over and picked up the ball with an, uh oh, look on his face. Darla had her hands over her ears and her eyes were closed.

“Dennis, what was that,” his mother yelled as she ran into the living room. The crowd went quiet again. There on the floor was the broken lamp and little Murray holding the ball.

“Oh No, Murray. What did you do? Oh my that was bad,” his mother had yelled.

“I told you that we do not play ball in the house. My favorite lamp. Now you, young man, go upstairs and into your room,” his mother told Murray.

Murray had tears in his eyes as he started to walk out of the room, his head hung down and his shoulders slumped. He looked like a pitcher that was sent to the showers.

Darla still had her hands over her ears and her eyes closed tight.

“Iʼm not coming out till this is over,” she thought.

Dennis didn’t know what to do. He had played ball in the house before and was scolded but nothing ever broke anything. Now, if he didn’t say anything Murray would take the blame for something he did.

At this moment a quite extraordinary thing happened. Something unbelievably spectacular. This is where the courageous truth was told. Why courageous you say? This kind of truth doesn’t have to be said. This truth can be buried and not told and life would go on as simple as it did before. Murray would take the blame and tomorrow all would be forgotten and Dennis wouldn’t be in trouble but that isn’t a courageous truth.

“Mom, I threw the ball.” Dennis blurted out.

“It was my fault.”

“Oh my, what did I say?” Dennis thought. At that moment Dennis felt confused.

“Why did my mouth say that?”

He had a unique courageous moment. That is a courageous truth.

All went quiet for a second. At that moment Dennis seemed to brighten up a little. Do you know why? Yes, Ruby Shroo was born. A brilliant glow of truth.

“But, Dennis, I told you not to throw the ball in the house and you did it anyway?”

“Iʼm sorry, Mom. It wasn’t Murrayʼs idea it was mine.”

“Dennis, I should scold you but you told the truth. You do need to realize that you broke something that I loved. So tonight you will not get dessert.”

Dennis knew he had disobeyed a rule and was willing to take his punishment until his Mom said “But for telling the truth you get dessert now.”

Dennis jumped up and down and his glow shone brighter with every jump.

Murray and Darla began jumping up and down with Dennis. He had told a courageous truth and was rewarded and a powerful glimmer was born. This is how Ruby came to be and how she, of all the Glimmers, is so bright in her own courageous light. Ruby is a special glimmer and destined for special things.

The End