I went whale watching this weekend. Unfortunately, due to overcast skies and large swells we were unable to spot any of the numerous humpback whales that make Delaware Bay their home this time of year. We were however able to spot and identify more than 100 Atlantic bottlenose dolphins in the Bay. We were thrilled to see several dolphin calves; some barely 24 hours old.
[Trivia: Did you know that dolphins live up to 5 years in captivity, but up to 50 years in the wild? Did you know that Delaware Bay is the northern most breeding ground for the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin? --- Now you do! Learn something new everyday!!]
Food and alcohol were served on the boat, and as is sometimes the case, some folks had a little too much to drink. One such patron threw his plastic beer cup into the water when he was done. Fortunately, one of the crew members was alerted and used a net to retrieve it. My fellow passenger was encouraged to sit and not allowed to purchase any more alcohol.
Are you thinking now, what I thought at the time? ”What if one of the babies had gotten hurt or worse because it tried to eat the cup?”
How disconnected have we become? I mean, not just to our environment and the other species with whom we share this planet, but with each other. Why didn't any of this guys travelling companions care enough to cut him off? Why didn't he cut himself off? Did any of them tell him today that they were embarrassed? Did he apologize today? Was an apology today enough to make up for his embarrassing behavior yesterday?
What if instead, this guy had thrown a drug laced piece of candy into a school yard of little ones – you know, the daycare crowd – and one of the kids picked it up and put it in his mouth? The dolphin have to deal with guys like the one on my boat throwing his garbage into the water. Then I, and others on the road, have to deal with this same drunkard if he gets behind the wheel of a car.
The whole incident got me thinking of just how fragile the thread of life really is.
Imagine! One thoughtless or careless act, one angry word, one misguided assumption, one mistake could ruin it all. Could cause irreparable harm to a person (or thing), or damage to a relationship.
How diligent are you in monitoring your behavior? Do you think the things you do today won’t affect tomorrow? Do you believe that you can keep putting things off until later?
The Bible says of your life, “You do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? For you are a puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes.” (James 4:14)
Reconnect right now! Connect with a loved one, a close friend – heck connect with your pet lizard – just connect. Let them know that you love them. That you care. That you pray they be healthy, happy, and safe.
Not only is tomorrow not promised to you, the next 5 minutes aren’t either!
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