| Jan 1st 2020. Morning, Cortes Island. The rain that has poured on us for two straight days has stopped. A splendid sunrise painted the bay in front of our cabin with golden pink. There, a flock of 50 dolphins showed up and put up a 20-min long performance of synchronized dancing for Joe and I, Daisy, the dog we are taking care of, and a resident seal that hangs out in the bay every day. Joe and I sat on the red granite rocks, enjoying this nature’s orchestration in awe. How amazing to watch the dolphins synchronize with each other so fluidly and effortlessly. A row of them jumped simultaneously, followed by the next row in elegant arcs, and the next row … Their coordination is not centrally directed by a “boss” dolphin, or a ladder of management. Nor does each one of them execute their moves according to a pre-written script. They follow their deepest instinct, responding to the moment, in tune with nature, the “Chief Director” of life. In doing so, each one of them is both the director and performer at the same time. They are showing us the art of embodying the Inter-Being. I didn’t take the picture shown here. When we rushed out of the cabin, we forgot to grab our phones. I had to find a photo on the internet that resembled what we have seen. Yet I want to share this moment of blessings with you all. On a beach walk later the same day, we found a dead sea lion that had been washed ashore. The body was kept in perfect condition without any tear. What a beautiful and marvelous creature it was! I couldn’t help imagining how it had swerved and glided in the water in its heyday. What caused its death? Now it lies as a cold mystery on the beach in a state of peace as if falling asleep. In the same day, life showed its two sides, reminding me not to be caught and fixated on either one. The flow of time will bring life to us and take it away. How fortunate and privileged to experience and bear witness to both the beauty and vulnerability of the cycle of life! May 2020 bring another year of growth for us to embrace the many gifts of the emerging present. |
