Slow, steady and graceful

Today was a wonderful day. My husband and I took our boat out onto Biscayne Bay and cruised. The day was absolute perfection: endless blue sky, a few puffy clouds, the water was flat and clear, and the air was fresh.

We headed north towards downtown and enjoyed the skyline for a while, then we headed over to one of our favorite places--a small, quiet harbor on Key Biscayne, with a funky restaurant on the shore. We tied the boat to the seawall and enjoyed our delicious lunch on the porch overlooking the harbor. More perfection.

After lingering over lunch and conversation, we untied the boat and cruised south, enjoying the breeze under the shade of the Bimini top on our boat. Then we spotted them---a pair of dolphins. What a gift! Nothing makes a day on the water for us like an encounter with these gorgeous beings.

It was clear that they wanted to play with us. They moved up to the surface of the still water, and under, over and over, making large, lazy circles around our boat. We cut off the engine, and sat and watched, thanking them out loud for their magical presence.

It was like a meditation, sitting there in the shade on the boat, just being with them for over half an hour. And the message was clear in their repetitive, gorgeously fluid motions. SLOW, STEADY, GRACEFUL.

They were in perfect rhythm with each other. And their pace never varied. In and out, up and down, the perfect curves of their smooth, glistening bodies cutting through the surface of the water---over and over and over and over, in an endless symphony of one movement flowing into the next.

It was mesmerizing and, at the same time, very grounding in its simplicity. No rushing, no hurry, no worry, no flailing about, no trying hard. Just do what you know to do to get things done--slowly, steadily, gracefully.

Life can make us teeter off balance. We can become stressed, concerned, feel pressured about what needs doing, and how much time we have to do it.

They were feeding, no doubt. And their movements remained slow, steady, and graceful. Endlessly.

The effect of their presence and their energy was so calming, nourishing, comforting and reassuring. They seemed to be saying to us: Take it easy. You know what needs to get done. Move slowly and deliberately. Follow your instincts. Keep up a steady flow toward your goal. And be centered enough in yourself and your true nature to allow for true grace. Their ease and economy of movement, and the beauty of their natural flowing physical energies was so entrancing.

Their mystical presence is still with me. And their message means the world to me today since I had found myself feeling a bit pressured by a list of 'to do's' after my computer was down for a few days---as well as some other pressures I was putting on myself. I'm so grateful for the blessing of them in an already perfect day!

Just look at what we attracted!! Not only the sublime experience of being with the two dolphins, but also the gift of clarity about how to proceed. SLOW, STEADY, GRACEFUL. I can do that.

Love and Joy,
Jan