A Sea Star hug and other lessons in life…
We let the kids sleep in after the late night of fireworks on the fourth. Charlie and Dad were painting, and I went to the coffeehouse to do some computer work, then came back as Mom was serving the kids breakfast. The big plan: Sea World.
We spent a busy afternoon in the crowded park, packing into shows, marveling at the wonders, getting doused on rides, shivering against the unusually cold July day. In the evening, Charlie sat with three excited children in the second row soak zone at the beautiful new dolphin show. The kids were thrilled at the coming water promised from the dolphins and pilot whales- the other three of us took the towel and electronics up several stairs. Charlie got the kids hot chocolate to keep the wind at bay.
After dinner, Wyatt still had a few things he wanted to see before he was ready to leave Sea World. We went to the Arctic experience. The kids played together in the exhibit, stared in awe and noted similarities between the creatures. The people around us were taking their time, too. Without the rush of the crowds people were settling in to enjoy the majesty and grace of the large animals. We stared at penguins, noted how they behave similarly to Wyatt’s chickens. Puffins look a bit like silkies as babies.
We had to wander a bit to find the bat rays. Their interaction area had been packed three deep when we had come by earlier. Now the kids were among very few there. The girl acting as curator for the exhibit answered several questions from across the pool. Several rays came up to the children, rolling their wing-like appendages until the children had touched them and felt like they had high 5’s. It was getting late, so Wyatt moved on to the tide pools.
At the tide pools, Wyatt looked up at me and asked if they had eyes. Not having an answer for him, I told him he could ask the girl from the exhibit. Shy little Wyatt walked up and asked. What ensued was about an hour of Wyatt, sometimes joined by the girls, peppering the girl with questions. She wandered all aournd with him and discussed the number of rays (arms) and helped him touch and understand the sea stars, sea anemones, and other plants and animals. They discussed how they eat, eliminate and move, their nervous systems and brains. She put sea stars in his hands to give him sea star hugs, showed him how the other creatures would wrap around his finger to see what he was. The fireworks came and went. He was wide awake and ready to learn about hese things in front of him.
Much of our group had long been ready to go. But vacations come so seldom when you live with all the animals we have, and time for Wyatt to explore without shyness or fear and just indulge his curiosity is rare. An hour ticked by easily, with him making sure I experienced along with him.
Wyatt was teaching one of the tenets we strive to live in yoga- to be present in the moment. We so often bustle our way through life, ticking off items on the to-do list. We are so consumed by all that is going on that we fail to stop, look around us and really participate fully in life. To be present in the moment, the full experience of the life we live.
That night I lay awake in bed, thinking about the day. I was reminded of how Wyatt had drawn me in. How we had let go of whatever else was out there to fully experience what was around us then. our children have much to teach us as we try to teach them. I hope to learn more each day, to be the person they deserve for me to be. To be present in the moment and our lives each day. And, did I mention? I, too, got a sea star hug, too.
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