What the heck is a Thunder Egg?
Thunder Eggs or Thundereggs are 60 million year old agate-filled nodules found in various parts of the Western United States. They can range in size from 1/4 inch to as large as 5 feet in diameter. Generally, they are about the size of an orange. Although they are similar on their exterior, no two are alike in pattern, design or colour on the inside. Truly one of a kind!! Cut and polished Thundereggs are all truly beautiful. They are one of the marvels of nature and are sought after and highly prized the world over.
My friend Pat found some Thundereggs while rock-hounding (or whatever you call it) in the western US. He gave me a piece of his favourite one. :) It is truly a cherished gift, and has so much more meaning than he intended. Let me explain.
I treasure my Thunderegg as it reminds me that although we are all made up of the same elements, we are each very unique and beautiful.
One of the great lessons I have learned throughout this cancer journey is that we do not always appreciate each other like we should. I believe that there is something magnificent in each and every one of us.
Sometimes we have to crack open the hard, gritty shell to see the beauty inside. Sometimes it takes a very long time or a traumatic event to open that shell, but until it does, know that there is beauty within - even if you cannot see it yet.
It reminds me of that adage...If you think you can - you will. If you think you can't - you won't. Believe that you are beautiful inside and it will shine through. If you perceive yourself to be a gritty old rock...that is what you will be seen as to others.
I used to complain a lot...and sometimes think the worst of people before I knew the whole story. I try not to do that anymore. I try to see the good and positive in people and events. It is so much more enjoyable to live that life!
I think of my Thunderegg and my friend Pat, and I Smile!
for more info on Thunder Eggs, see this excerpt from richardsonrockranch.com/story.htm:
According to legend, Thundereggs were so named by Native Americans of Central Oregon. The natives of this region are said to have believed these strange, agate-filled stones were missiles thrown by angry, fighting "Thunder Spirits" or "Gods" who dwelt on Mount Jefferson and nearby Mount Hood, two of the several snow-capped peaks high in the Cascade Range. The Native Americans thought when thunderstorms occurred these rival, jealous gods hurled large numbers of the round-shaped rocks at each other in furious anger. Thus, according to Native American legend, Thundereggs were scattered over the high plateaus of Central Oregon.
The unique agate-filled mud balls are found in layers of rhyolite lava flows, which spread over the land an estimated 60 million years ago. This was long before man appeared on the earth and thousands of centuries before the Cascade Mountain range was formed and pushed upward, due to tremendous stress beneath the surface of the planet. Geologists reason that the round-shaped Thundereggs were formed in gas pockets, serving as molds, that were left in the lava plows of the Eocene Geological Age. Over long periods of time, the gas cavities or cooled bubbles were gradually filled by water percolating through the porous rock formations, Water (hot or cold) oozing into the cavities carried rich quantities of silica (quartz). The solution lined and in many cases filled the cavity molds, first with the darker matrix material, then the inner core of agate or chalcedony. The beautiful and varying colors were derived from nearby minerals present in the soil. These processes are still going on, but at a much slower rate than during the times of volcanic action, with huge clouds and deposits of volcanic ash rich in silica (quartz).
