The Little Wall That Protected the Flowers

In Lina’s garden there was a low dry-stone wall.

It surrounded a small flower bed with marigolds, lavender, and three brave daisies. The wall was not high. It did not shut the flowers away. It simply stood near them.

One evening a strong wind came from the hills.

The daisies bent.

Lina ran outside. “They will break!”

At that moment the stones of the wall moved.

Not much. Just enough. One stone leaned toward another. A small gap became smaller. The wall curved its body around the flowers like an arm.

The wind passed over it, less sharp.

The flowers trembled, but remained standing.

“Thank you,” whispered the lavender.

The wall answered in a stone voice, “I am here to protect.”

The next morning Lina tried to move the stones even closer.

“If near is good, closer is better,” she said.

The flowers immediately had less air. The sun reached them poorly. The lavender coughed a tiny lavender cough.

The wall spoke again.

“Protection is not squeezing.”

Lina stopped.

“Then how do I know the right distance?”

“Watch whether the other can still breathe, grow, and turn toward the light.”

So Lina put the stones back. The wall stood near, not over. Around, not on top. Ready, but not heavy.

In the following days Lina understood the wall’s lesson in many ways. When her little cousin climbed, she stayed close without grabbing him all the time. When a friend was sad, she sat beside her without asking too many questions. When a seedling grew, she gave support without tying it too tight.

And the dry-stone wall, old and wise, kept protecting the flowers by leaving them enough sky.