Extraordinary Farewell

Waking early yesterday to savour our final beach morning.  Meditating on the rolling waves.  Sending out a silent request.  Asking if it might be possible to witness a whale breaching nearby before journeying home. Then heading out for a short walk.  Keen to absorb a few last precious rays.  Spotting a humpback not too far in the distance.  Repeatedly tail slapping as if conveying a farewell.  Sending it gratitude from my heart for that.  Returning to the condo to pack our bags.  Locking the sliding door off the lanai.  Standing up to take one last look at the view with my husband.  In that exact moment, seeing a huge whale breaching directly before us!  This only the second one we observed doing this in close proximity during the entire twelve days here.  Beholding the first one while aboard a whale watching trip.  Walking out the front door and leaving with an enormous smile on my face.  Once again deeply impressed by how beautifully the universe listens.

Definition of Beauty

Humpback whales.  Never given them much thought.  Stocky dark coloured body incorporating a hump.  Head and jaw covered with knobs.  Not particularly beautiful at all.  Dismissing them as ugly in fact.  Judging them solely on pictures I had seen.  Now spending a few days sharing these warm waters.  Swimming and snorkelling in their breeding grounds.  Marvelling at their spectacular breaching and tail slapping.  Entertained by the males singing their complex songs. Smiling at young ones playfully engaged.  Offering me an opportunity to rethink my definition of beauty.