Mystical Animals of Ancient Oak
                  A Collection of True Stories

                                  -Cynthia A. Fain

        The world of nature is an infinite universe of healing
                       

Mystical Animals of Ancient Oak was born out of my need to find healing through the beauty and magic of nature.  This collection of true stories follows my journey through South Valley Park and the community of Ancient Oak.  On this odyssey, spirit brought me enchanting animals. 

Through humor, sadness, triumph, traumas, and spirituality the animal’s stories illuminated my life.  Whether it was watching an old squirrel make his last, brave climb up an oak tree the day before he died.  Or watching the entertaining antics of a neighborhood cat who served as the ambassador to our apartment complex, nature was always sending her healers.

My childhood was very traumatic and during the many years of emotional searching and cleansing, I constantly turned to nature for nurturing and guidance.  In 1990, my mother who had been an alcoholic my entire life, nearly died.  This crisis not only ushered me into a new relationship with my mother, I also experienced a renaissance in my relationship with animals and nature. 

At thirty years old I found myself at an un-anticipated cross road.  When my mother woke out of decades of alcoholism, I finally got to see who she really was.  Getting re-acquainted with my mother was a bumpy ride through the hallways of time.

It was during this period that I first met a flightless duck who I named Mr. Drake.  I discovered his healing presence on my daily walks at a local park.  The serenity of walking around the ponds and feeding the ducks took me back in time and helped me soothe a wounded childhood.

Strewn throughout the stories are reflections of my years of healing with my mother.  We found our common ground through feeding the squirrels, bonding with our cats and turning our balcony into a miniature jungle.

One of our most memorable moments came in 1976 when we saw spacecraft over Interstate 270.  Although my mother never totally understood my spiritual intrigues, this incident was something we never forgot and we never questioned.  Though our healing path was not without its turbulence, this cosmic sighting served to remind us of our true spiritual heritage.    

The urge to write my stories became greater as I witnessed tremendous over development in the county I live in, Montgomery County Maryland   Our suburbs are being turned into endless rows of big houses with no nature surrounding them.  The more I turned to nature for reflection and peace, the more I was convinced that the disconnection from nature that many are experiencing is proving to be disastrous.  The trend of paving over forests, parks and farms is making people ignorant of the natural world. 

The language of nature is being lost.

I hope my stories spread a wave of light and awareness over those who read them.  As people weave their path back into the embrace of nature, they will see what they have forgotten.  May we learn to honor the earth and all her creatures.
          MYSTICAL ANIMALS OF ANCIENT OAK
                                    WILL BE
             COMING TO BOOKSTORES SOON