Gorillas, in more than mist.

I am not a big video watcher when I get on my computer, phone, or other electronic device. Every so often, I’ll stop for a moment to notice a scene on Facebook. It is typically in the form of an animal, with the headline giving promise of that little creature doing something beyond the wildest of imaginations. Most of the time, I am sorely disappointed. Occasionally, I eke out a chuckle.

But then one will hit me. These are the culprits. They are the videos that keep reeling us back in. They are the clips that truly are amazing and incredible. These are the ones that make us return, time and again, to sneak yet another peak.

Today, I was an unsuspecting victim. I checked in on the USA Today, to get a lighter side of the news. And there it was. The headline said something about “cringing gorillas in the rain.” Of course I had to stop and take a look.

I watched it three times. I laughed on all three occasions.

These gorillas are clearly avoiding the rain. They are sitting under an overhang. In their space at their zoo. In Columbia, South Carolina. The six of them, which includes two babies are clearly cognizant of the unfavorable weather conditions. Not only are they aware, they are visibly unhappy about the precipitation.

They begin making their move to their indoor accommodations. What ensues is both sweet, and hilarious. They are acting like a bunch of Prima Donnas who have just finished doing their hair for the Debutante Ball. Their facial expressions and body movements are priceless.

But what I love the most about this is the reminder. It lets me know, once again, what an incredible world this is. Here we are, sharing this big blue ball, with the likes of these amazing gorillas. These gorillas, who obviously think, feel, and reason. And so much more.

At every turn, our very human existence is filled with the magnificent, and the phenomenal. From the big to the small. Those things that we alone see. They are not by chance. And if we let them, they stir something deep within us. The flittering flight of a Nuthatch. The droplet of water hanging on the tip of the leaf. Waiting. Those big old gorillas who would have put newspapers over their heads as they dodged the raindrops. If gorillas had newspapers.

I think it is important for us to notice these moments and acknowledge a sense of gratitude. It is funny. When we do this — when we stop and become aware of the gifts — the gratitude and our inner-peace fit together. Seamlessly.

It may not always feel like it, but life truly is a gift. One to be treasured.

Even if it is those gorillas. That video.

And those are the moments that keep reeling us in.



Gorillas Avoiding the Rain | USA Today


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“If you cannot find peace within yourself, you will never find it anywhere else.”
― Marvin Gaye

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“We shall find peace. We shall hear angels, we shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds.”
― Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

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“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”
― Eckhart Tolle

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