The little stone had started its life as a much larger stone, but after lying many years of the bed of the ocean it had finally been set in motion by the sudden appearance of a huge thunderstorm.
The sea was turned into a cauldron of immense power by the raging winds, and the large stone was torn from its resting place and pounded against the rocks.
It fragmented into hundreds of smaller pieces, and these in their turn were tossed about by the stormy sea.
Eventually the storm abated, and the now much smaller stone found itself many miles from its original place on the sea-bed.
Around it were many of its brethren, although they too were of varying sizes and shapes.
They all moved with the rhythm of the tide and in doing so each stone was ever so slowly reduced in size by the actions of the sea and sand.
The smaller stones drifted further and further away from the larger one, until finally the stone was left completely alone.
It spent many years alone on the sea-bed, being rolled hither and thither by the restless waters.
It realised that it was very slowly being made smaller and smaller, and dreaded the day when it would be reduced to the size of a minuscule grain of sand.
That very night another storm swept across the ocean, and again the stone was carried many more miles from its homeland.
The breaking dawn found the stone lying on the sand of a lonely beach, for the tide had ebbed and left it stranded there.
The sun broke through the cloud-filled skies and a little girl and her Mother came walking along the waters-edge.
The little girl shielded her eyes against the suns glare, and in doing so she espied the stone lying there, glittering in the morning sun.
With a whoop of joy she pounced on the stone and put it in her pocket.
Upon returning home the little girl put the stone in a small velvet-lined box and promised to keep it forever.
Now, whenever the little girl opens the box the stone does its very best to radiate its most brilliant hues, for it hopes that the little girl honours her promise.
Although it misses the sea, the little stone values the love of the little girl more than the wonders of the deep.
And so it is in life.
You may have to travel many thousands of miles to find the one that you truly love and cherish, and who in return, loves and cherishes you.
Kitos.