"A Teaching Moment
on a Quiet Pond"
Today brought him a new experience. One that left him amazed at how things had changed. Perhaps how he had changed. All of the twists and turns in his life had brought him to a place he hadn't anticipated. An awkward, perhaps needed, place of being mostly by himself. There were chance meetings and conversations with people but for the first time in his life, nobody was close. He felt exiled in a way. Not because he didn't want to look within or to reflect on himself. He did this often. It was more that he believed deep down that life is for sharing. It was all about the times with others. His current place had brought him to a world where there simply was no others. So he spent as much time as he could in a places that felt comfortable, usually enjoying nature out on the lakes.
It was a beautiful early summer day. He found a quiet lake to enjoy. He put in his kayak and mounted the sail. There would be just enough breeze today. It would slowly, gently push him around the lake and he could peacefully reflect and enjoy the sites. Maybe meet a bird or two as he sailed through the lily pads and enjoy the swooshing on the hull of the boat. Their roots were deep in the lake bottom and long stems rose up through the water to finally float leaves on the surface. It was an amazing world unnoticed by most. He was just in a place to relax and Be and discover.
It was a beautiful early summer day. He found a quiet lake to enjoy. He put in his kayak and mounted the sail. There would be just enough breeze today. It would slowly, gently push him around the lake and he could peacefully reflect and enjoy the sites. Maybe meet a bird or two as he sailed through the lily pads and enjoy the swooshing on the hull of the boat. Their roots were deep in the lake bottom and long stems rose up through the water to finally float leaves on the surface. It was an amazing world unnoticed by most. He was just in a place to relax and Be and discover.
He set sail and in time had tacked his way back and forth to the far end of the lake and was now enjoying the easy sail back with a steady tailwind. It was calm and peaceful. Up ahead he saw a Loon. He loosened the sheet line to relax the sail from the wind. Then slowly released the mast line and quietly lowered the sail to the deck. He folded the sail and stowed it with cords against the top of the kayak. The kayak slowed and then gently came to rest on the lake.
He was hoping he would get to see the loon fairly close. They often spook and move away so he was being very still and calm. As he looked he immediately noticed very small bobbing gray things in the water behind her. Baby Loons. They were big enough to be off of her back and having some swim time mostly to themselves. Still they looked no more than floating tiny fuzz balls in a giant body of water.
The mama loon looked over at him. He nodded and sent a warm hello out to her. Saying how beautiful it was to see her and the little ones on such a calm pretty day.
He was hoping he would get to see the loon fairly close. They often spook and move away so he was being very still and calm. As he looked he immediately noticed very small bobbing gray things in the water behind her. Baby Loons. They were big enough to be off of her back and having some swim time mostly to themselves. Still they looked no more than floating tiny fuzz balls in a giant body of water.
The mama loon looked over at him. He nodded and sent a warm hello out to her. Saying how beautiful it was to see her and the little ones on such a calm pretty day.
She turned away and motioned to the babies. They swam in closer to her. She aimed right for him and the two little one's followed a few feet behind. She brought them right over beside the kayak. Not more than a paddle length or two away. She looked at him for a moment with the two little one's peeking out from behind her. Then she turned around with her back to him and started talking to the babies. They would look at her, then look around her at him, then back at her. He realized it was a teaching moment. She was taking this opportunity to share something about humans perhaps, about him? He couldn't hear the message. Animals usually communicate unheard to each other. But clearly they were listening and were looking at him like ahhhh we see.
The moment didn't last long. A few minutes. Then she turned back around and nodded at him as if to say thank you. She motioned to the little ones to go back to paddling about. He watched as it all soaked in how unafraid she was to bring them up close and even turn her back on him.
The moment didn't last long. A few minutes. Then she turned back around and nodded at him as if to say thank you. She motioned to the little ones to go back to paddling about. He watched as it all soaked in how unafraid she was to bring them up close and even turn her back on him.
The babies went paddling off and she followed close enough to keep watch but far enough away that they felt some independence, a sense of self. The two little one's bobbed along side by side in their own tiny space. Like best of friends in a big world.
They finally paddled far enough away that they were nothing more than gray little balls. He just floated and watched. What a treat he thought. It was so special to be part of a teaching moment for the loon family. He wondered what she must have said. His head pondered conversations like ... this is one who may be called a loon by his tribe but they don't know how true their statements actually are. Cause he really is trying to understand our reality. He is trying to see, and feel, and Be in the real world we know. To come back in balance with a world rarely seen by humans but shared and known by everyone else on the planet.
When they were far away he pulled the lines and lifted the sail. Soon the wind was gently carrying him effortlessly across the water. He thought how nice it was to see them up close. To be a part of that moment. As the boat rocked on the waves he was realizing that friends come in many forms. The human body is just a vessel for a soul. A way to visit this world, this time, and place. There are a host of ways to be here in this reality. He really was connecting in new ways with other types of Beings. In many ways one might obviously say they were new friends not like him. They had much more fur, and often feathers, or even some with scales. But in other ways they really were more like him than most in a human form.
The teaching moment was not just for the little ones.
When they were far away he pulled the lines and lifted the sail. Soon the wind was gently carrying him effortlessly across the water. He thought how nice it was to see them up close. To be a part of that moment. As the boat rocked on the waves he was realizing that friends come in many forms. The human body is just a vessel for a soul. A way to visit this world, this time, and place. There are a host of ways to be here in this reality. He really was connecting in new ways with other types of Beings. In many ways one might obviously say they were new friends not like him. They had much more fur, and often feathers, or even some with scales. But in other ways they really were more like him than most in a human form.
The teaching moment was not just for the little ones.
A.Seriph.S
©2018