Sunday Inspiration: A Whale of a Story
Are you a fan of the super-star author James Patterson?
I’ve only read a couple of his books, but I had the thrill to hear him speak this week at a sold out luncheon supporting the Library Foundation for Sarasota County. I’ll tell you more about his wonderful lecture for my Wednesday blog, but for this morning’s Sunday Inspiration, I’d like to share a story he told at the end of his talk that touched him deeply — and me as well.
The heroic attempt to save a female humpbacked whale was all over the news in late 2005. Just off the California coast a fisherman spotted the whale wrapped in hundreds of pounds of fishing nets, crab traps, and ropes.
Unable to swim and slowly sinking, the whale was doomed unless someone came to her rescue. So the fisherman with help from his friends, began the slow, arduous, and dangerous work of cutting the whale free one line at a time before she drowned.
It took hours for the rescue team to free the whale, which weighed about 50 tons with a length of 45 to 50 feet. But the best part of the story is that once she was freed, the whale swam in circles in what seemed like joy around the exhausted group, and then she swam up to each one of them and gave them a nudge, as if the whale was thanking them for her rescue. Here are some photos of the event with a link to a video.
What an incredible story told by an incredible story teller. It’s a reminder for me that we are all part of this amazing planet of ours and that every single part of our world is precious beyond measure. I give thanks for those who risk so much to protect and preserve this sacred creation.
What is something in nature that is especially sacred for you?
Sunrises and sunsets touch me deeply. A few years ago a friend and I were in Sedona, Arizona gathered shoulder to shoulder with at least 100 of our new best friends in a parking lot at the airport. It was totally quiet as the sky changed colors and the sun disappeared. At that point someone said “HE did it again.” , and everyone clapped. We all had tears. Recently I stood on the beach in Naples, Fl to watch the super, blue moon do its thing with a partial eclipse. Again, it was totally quiet and when the moon dipped below the horizon, everyone clapped.
Awesome story. To me, the ocean is my favorite place. It offers serenity and peace of mind while reminding me I’m just an infinitesimal speck of humanity!
Thank you for sharing this story. I read about it several years ago, but it was heart-touching to read it again. To me, trees are sacred. I’m obsessed with them. I love them with leaves and without. I also love to hug them. I was walking in one of Toledo’s wonderful metroparks several years ago, when I saw a tree that I especially liked. I looked around carefully to see that there was no one about, before I gave this wonderful tree a hug and received comforting energy in return. You guessed it, a man jogging was close by. I met his eyes that were full of laughter and his sneaky little grin and knew that he had seen me. I was embarrassed, to say the least. Today, I would not have cared. And, yes, I still hug trees.
What a great love story, and I’m reading it on Valentine’s Day!! What moves me in nature is two things really:my cats, who have really been there for me through life-threatening illnesses (bacterial infection in Jan. 2014, followed 4 months later with breast cancer). Also, watching birds and squirrels outside my kitchen window, to me, they are so beautiful and give me a great sense of peace.
I’m so glad you have stellar company to see you through darker times.