Hippos, Flamingos and the Ring-Tailed Lemur
Aaaggghh….today. Thank you, God, for today.
Got to sleep in. You know how I feel about that.
Charli and I met Ellen and a friend at the LA Zoo at 10. Strolling past the giraffes and reptiles and zebras, I savored this time to relax—to be with family and allow myself to be calmed by the wonders of the animal world and the beautiful greenery throughout the zoo.
First, I had to do some talking to myself. We entered the zoo about the same time as a family with two little boys, about the same age span as Chance and Chandler. In the best of circumstances, I wax nostalgic for those simple days. Today, I had to stop myself from remembering that dimpled cutie running around with his brothers, wrestling and doing what little boys do instead of just walking from point A to point B. It was just too hard to go there.
Every time I’m at the zoo, I’m reminded of God’s sense of humor. How can you look at the stilt-like legs of a flamingo, the half-horse/half-zebra coloring of an okapi, or the perfect pompadour of the East-African gray-crowned crane and not know that their designer was smart, creative, and funny. I look at the intricate, beautiful pattern on the back of the Santa Catalina Island rattlesnake, and I’m comforted in a strange way. My creator knows what He’s doing. He’s brilliant. He’s creative. He does marvelous things, and I can trust His hand in my life.
We came to the enclosure for the ring-tailed lemur.
When Chandler was in 3rd grade, he had to do a report on an animal. He chose the ring-tailed lemur. We went to a local zoo and spent the day so he could see the ring-tailed lemur in person. I always remember that when I run across the ring-tailed lemur on any visit to the zoo. Today I remembered deeply. I remembered Chandler, always curious, standing at the lemur’s enclosure at the Santa Ana Zoo. I remember him running from one animal to the next, though never directly. Always meandering on top of planters, benches and anything else that would move him a bit further above sea level.
I don’t want to brag, but I will say that I am quite certain that Chandler’s report was surely the most eloquently stated, thorough body of information on the ring-tailed lemur to date.
Today I joined an elite group of people. Thanks to Ellen, the queen of all things adventurous (she travelled to Antarctica just to see the penguins), we joined in the Hippo Encounter and the Flamingo Mingle. So now if I’m ever playing one of those games where people have to say something they’ve done that most other people haven’t – you should probably bet on me. I have touched a hippo and fed a flamingo. My pants, still reeking of krill, will attest.
I’m grateful for the moments of peace, togetherness, laughter, wonder, and warmth that made up this day. I’m grateful that I was able to move through the hard moments while not denying their presence. I think this will be the way for a while.
