Living Things

Some vignettes:

Yesterday while gardening in the backyard my mom stumbled upon a duck sitting on a batch of eggs in one of her pots. Today I went out back a few times to feed her some hamburger bun (which I made sure to break up really well, Rhegan) as she did her motherly duty. She seemed grateful...
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The other night David and I walked out to the edge of dock. The water was perfectly still, like black oil. In the distance two gigantic swans silently sailed toward us like magnificent white ships. Have you ever seen these things? They are huge and stunning. I've met these creatures before but never saw them with these new eyes. In that stillness and darkness, it was almost like meeting a pair of mythical beasts...
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On the island of Bantayan in the Philippines I sat on the beach looking at the sea. Noticing a blue mass moving across the sand where the waves washed up, I got up to inspect, but when I approached, it disappeared. I sat back down in the place where I saw the object. A few seconds later the sand around me was alive: little bright blue crabs with disproportionately large claws were emerging all around me, oblivious to my presence. I watched them for a few minutes scoop sand in their mouths with their claws, regurgitate, and move on. Weird. I stirred and got up and in unison the legion of crabs retreated back into the sand...
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The other morning while waiting for Willie to come to the job site, I sat in the backyard with my coffee with nothing to do but wait. I never noticed before how full the Jersey spring air is with the sound of birds of all kinds. A black beatle with a shiny gold metalic finish scurried past my feet. A lonely dog in the diagonal lot was amusing itself by digging a hole.

How is it that this Earth is so full of things that fly and crawl and eat and breath and do all sorts of things I don't even understand? And who I am that I can stop and take delight in such things? Amidst all that we have made and surrounded ourselves with, all of creation is there waiting to be noticed. And when I do notice, how can I not give praise and thanks to the Author and Creator of this all?