What is the meaning of "the flower that shattered the stone"?

[Lena]

Have been searching for the meaning of the expression "the flower that
shattered the stone". It's not the Columbine, since the incident
relating the flower and the school tragedy occurred after the song was
published. My research shows that JD is holding a yellow rose on his
CD of that title. One story I read tells of grief being like a Stone
that one wears around his/her neck (or is lodged in the stomach).
With time, the rough edges of the Stone are worn, but it still hangs
there. The flower is Love, which shatters this Stone and enables one
to overcome the grief.

Would appreciate any insight into this expression.

Thanks.

Lena

[Luvanotter]

I don't have Joe Henry's lyrics in front of me but I think it means that even
the most fragile has the power to overcome the strongest force.

There is a poster that is sold through the Columbine Foundation that is a
picture of a Columbine flower growing out of a cracked rock. Have you ever
seen a tree growing out of a rock?

I can't interpret Joe's lyrics but to *me*, it means that no matter how strong
the opposing adversity, we CAN overcome it. And that to me is why it was
probably chosen as a symbol of the tragedy at Columbine High. Good versus
evil?

I hope that helps and I hope others will come forward and post what the lyrics
and image of the flower shattering the stone mean to them.

Best, Gloria
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What a child doesn't receive he can seldom later give. P. D. James

[Ladron23]

Dear Lena, Gloria, Thom, and anyone else that may be interested,

I went on a journey through space and time earlier this morning to find
specific answers for you about Joe Henry, and The Flower that Shattered the
Stone. I have fully believed for such a long time now that we are so very
connected to one another, and that John has been a very important teacher
------as well as many others, and that if we are wise, we learn from
them....Wow! What I have additionally found out has been so amazing, and the
connections to John so amazing-----just wait and see if you don't agree....

I have known the story about "The Flower That Shattered The Stone" for a few
years now, after seeing Olivia Newton-John in concert, here in Portland,
Oregon. For she talked about the song a few moments before she began to sing
it. She said that she had collaborated with Joe Henry about the song, and that
it was for children everywhere, and for those children in the audience, to
never forget how special they are.

Before I go further, I am going to list some sites that I found during the
course of my time on the internet this morning, for any of you that may be
interested in looking up this information about Joe Henry, Tapestry In Aspen,
Olivia Newton-John, The Columbine Trust Foundation, etc.

http://www.onlyolivia.com/
Olivia's official site

http://www.checnet.org/
organization founded by Olivia's dear friends, Nancy and JIm Chuda, in memory
of their daughter, Colette

http://www.geocities.com/astrild15/
Tapestry In Aspen site where you can read about the event slated for Monday,
October 15th from 1-4pm at the Mountain Chalet Ballroom in Aspen

http://www.columbinetrust.org/
site about the Foundation

http://www.ascap.com/playback/2000/
august/steppinphoto.html
http://www.ascap.com/playback/1996/april/joe.henry.html
http://uss001.infi.net/denver/post/news/shot1018c.htm

http://www.mawarra-p.schools.new.edu.au/buddyclasses.htm

this site is a school site in New South Wales where the children learned the
song
"The Flower That Shattered the Stone",
and drew pictures of what they felt the song means to them-----so
precious----check it out and see for yourself!!!!

Olivia's CD, "Warm and Tender" from Dec. 1989 is dedicated to her daughter,
Chole, and Colette, and the cover picture is of her and the two young girls
together....

If any of you care to take the time to go to the CHEC website, and click on the
family album, you will be whisked through the lives of special people, and
special times.....and therein comes the connections......to John......

But first, here are Joe Henry's words about his song------you will find all of
his words at
http://www.checnet.org/scrapbook/sb21.shtml

"When Nancy and Olivia were more than 2/3's of the way through their
simultaneous pregnancies (and when Colette's Wilm's tumor was
already-----unbeknownst to everyone for another 4 1/2 years-----growing against
one of her kidneys). Olivia asked me if I would write a lullaby that she could
sing to commemorate the births of her and Nancy's babies. I wrote a lyric
entitled, "The Flower That Shattered The Stone," which composer John Harvis put
to music. The words intend that no matter how brutal the reality, no matter how
brutal the worst parts of our nature-----what appears fragile and delicate,
what is most vulnerable in us and what is most precious about us as living
creatures----love-----ultimately love must prevail. The flower of love
ultimately will shatter the stone----be it of corporate power, political pwer,
individual greed, individual ego, whathaveyou. I have to believe that the
flower, in the end, will prevail. Perhaps as individuals we won't be here long
enough to bear witness to that advent, but I believe that that is why we are
here. To help push that stone, and Infinite distance with an infinite number of
hearts and hands.

However hard the equation, maybe Colette's cancer-----which was caused by an
environmental toxin-----was also that stone. And when Colette left where she
had been, and where she always will be, in her parents' hearts, another seed
was given birth, to enjoin like hearts to come together to protect other
children. And that too is the flower. and that too is CHEC."

Joe Henry
April 29, 2001

Along the way to this information, and lots of great pictures with many well
known people, were some really interesting bits of information staring back at
me-----in connection to John Denver...

Do you recall the phrase, "War is no healty for children and other living
things" that John was seen wearing, I think it was a bracelet? It is attributed
to Nancy Chuda's mother, Lenore Breslauer, a 1960's peace activist-----she
founded AMP (Another Mother for Peace). At one point they were 80,000 strong,
actively educating women to take an active role in creating peace...

CHEC held meetings in Jackson Hole, and their are pictures with the group and
Elizebeth Sword at Nora's Fish Creek Inn. I don't know if this woman owns the
inn, but I remember Gloria speaking of it.....Harrison Ford was involved with
these..

CHEC also held a symposium at Sundance, April of 1997, where David Brower was a
speaker, as well as Olivia and many others. Ed Begley Jr. Joe Henry, Anthony
Zerbe, etc. And of course, Robert Redford, was involved in this symposium..

There are many pictures of many well known personalities along the way of the
history of CHEC.....
and knowledge of their deep involvement in helping others......as well as the
history of the commitment and involvement of Jim and Nancy Chuda.....

Very, very interesting........
Hope some of this is interesting enough for you to look at some of these
places, and hope that it has helped in your questions....

Peace,
Wendy

[Thom Kafka]

Thanks Wendy for this long posting! It sounds so interesting, and I will
sure look at some of the pages...

One question: several time "Columbine" was mentionend - what was this,
what happened there? I have no idea - maybe something we didn't hear
about in Germany?

Where can I find information about Joe Henry - who is he, what kind had
his relationship to John Denver been and so on...

Thom

--
Thom Kafka
Thom....@ECTA.de

Ladron23 <ladr...@aol.com> schrieb in im Newsbeitrag:
20010613113443...@ng-bh1.aol.com...

[Ladron23]

Dear Thom,
You need to check out the sites that I posted concerning Joe Henry------and
Columbine Trust Foundation, and Tapestry In Aspen......

There was a school shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado in
1999.
The aftermath of that shooting left deaths and scars for life, and on going
medical bills. The Littleton Rotary Foundation looked for ways to raise money
for medical expenses. They had a slide show presentation, and the last picture
shown, was a single Columbine flower growing out of a rock. They decided to
sell posters made from the print to raise money, Part of Joe Henry's song, "The
Flower That Shattered The Stone" was printed on the poster-----and after the
fact, Mr. Henry was approached about using his words. He became so committed to
helping these children, and all children all over the world, that he started
the Columbine Trust Foundation......the proceeds for Tapestry In Aspen event
will benefit these students....

If you do a search about Columbine High School, I am sure that you will find
lots more informaiton.

Take the time, and you will certainly be amazed at all the loving hearts that
have come together to help others..

As far as his relationship to John, he has been very private-----they were
certainly close to one another, and had great respect for each other....
What kind of a man is he, is most evident in his words....

He has a CD out, entitled "Lime Creek" which is most amazing, very simple in
the meaning of living in the out of doors.....

.
Wendy

[Ed Brown]

Wendy,
You are kind of giving me the impression that you think that Olivia
Newton-John had more to do with this song than John Denver. Does she have
an
album/CD where she recorded this song? In any case, in my opinion,
JD's version on the the album/cd of the same title (especially the reprise
with Kosetsu Minami) is the best!!!!
Dee
Ladron23 wrote in message <20010613113443...@ng-bh1.aol.com>...

[Ladron23]

Dear Dee,
I am just stating facts as I have learned them concerning the history behind
the song. You can look for yourself, if you want to take the time to learn
about these facts,
also. She recorded the song on her "Warm and Tender" album, as I stated, I
believe in 1989. Steve Wariner also recorded the song, but I don't know the
year or the name of the album. If I have the time, I may try to find out.

I brought up all of these points of interest, for those that may be interested,
because of the significance that the lyrics and the song now have concerning
Columbine High School and what many people, including Joe Henry, are doing to
help those students. I am very sure that Olivia is quite aware of how the
lyrics of the song that she asked to have written about her daughter, and her
daughter's friend, is making an impact for other children. If you have a chance
to see the CHEC site, and read the heartfelt story of Colette, and her parents,
you will know how very special she was, and how her family and friends,
including Olivia Newton-John, are making a BIG difference in the prevention of
childhood illnesses from environmental poisoning-----including Erin
Brockovich.....

I was able to hear her sing the song in concert, as well as listen to John sing
it in concert. I wouldn't for one minute try to compare them....I am grateful
for the opportunity to have been to those concerts, and each and every one was
special to me.

Just my opinion......

Wendy

[Ladron23]

Just for more information about the song.
Steve Wariner recorded it on his 1989 CD,
"I Got Dreams".

I haven't heard his version of it, however...

As I also understand, Joe Henry also wrote
"The Flame" that was sung by Trisha Yearwood, at an Olympics opening-----the
year escapes me right now...and he also co- wrote, "BellaWood" not sure if I
spelled it correctly, with Garth Brooks, about a true incident in WWI.....

Wendy

[allth...@ftc-i.net]

Wendy,

I believe that "The Flame" was written around 1996. Not sure on that, though.

Best,
Dot

[Diamondsnstones]

It was written for the Atlanta Olympics and was sung at the opening ceremonies
but the main song of the Olympics was Celine Dion's The Dream a wonderful song
that was sung by a child.

[Diamondsnstones]

That would be *The Power of the Dream* Sorry.

[Ed Brown]

That's very interesting. Thanks, Wendy. Didn't know that there were
other's
who recorded this song. I don't have any of Olivia Newton-John's or Steve
Wariner's music.
Dee
Ladron23 wrote in message <20010616012614...@ng-fp1.aol.com>...

[dream...@gmail.com]

Hello everyone, These posts were from 18 years ago and yet tonight I find them. Perhaps the only ghost will see these words I share. For me 'The Flower That Shattered The Stone." Held different shades of meaning for me over time. I listened to it a lot while I was pregnant with my oldest and again with my youngest. I related to the song as a love song to my babies. The years flew by, and I had a nervous breakdown after a multitude of tragic happenings and a bad reaction to medication on top of it all. The song that kept coming to me was, "A Flower that shattered the stone." One I honestly had not heard in a while and was shocked that after several tries, I was able to recall the lyrics and would mouth them to myself. Before the song, was about my babies, then the song became about the baby who is me, who was raped, abused and destroyed. The breakdown I realized, was not the destruction of self, but the breaking out of my own mental dungeon. Got placed in my life people who in their own way, sent drops of water that got through those parts of the stone, allowing me to literally, break. apart, that which was once a shield of protection but was now a hindrance. Since that time I have grown so much, and my hair is now a ripple of silver and brown. My skin sags, but I still carry a crown of flowers with my smile. I try very much to love all, by simply remembering if I had no love, there would have been no water to the seed I was. The rock protected me from the burning sun, till I was strong enough, to endure it and survive. Those lessons and care need to be passed on. We humans must be that for one another. No one way of life is more precious or right than another. We must live for one another or we will all die, alone. This for me is what the song is sung for.

Peace, Nancy a life long fan from age 16.

[joek...@gmail.com]

What a beautiful post. I didnt realize this group was still alive. So much as gone to Facebook.