drink it up

i never knew how absolutely stunning giraffes were until i had the pleasure of seeing them in all their grandeur in their natural habitat--the wild african wilderness at the nakuru game park in kenya. my impression of them immediately changed from imagining them to simply be tall, spotted animals with really long necks to being amazingly graceful creatures. when they run it's as if you're watching something in slow motion, as though time has slowed down to allow you to take in every aspect of this beautiful animal. i also remember being shocked at how brilliant their colors were--they weren't just yellow and brown, but cast against the grassy plains of kenya, they were royal gold and burnished chestnut. the intricate patterns that adorn their bodies were beautiful tapestries.

i fell in love with those animals. and ever since i had the pleasure of seeing them in the wild, i've remembered that transformation in me, that by seeing them with new eyes, i was able to see their wonder in a whole new way. giraffes have made me smile ever since because i believe i know something about them that i never knew before. they are beautiful.

the reason i mention this is because i recently received a wonderful birthday gift in the mail from a dear friend i traveled in africa with. it is a wooden-carved giraffe whose body is the shape of a bowl and whose neck comes up and drinks out of the bowl as though it were a life-giving pool. it might sound strange when i try to describe it, so i'm including a picture of it so you can experience this little gem for yourself.

along with the bowl, she included several stones inscripted with words. these words have deep meaning for me because each one is something i hope to have realized in my life, something i hope to someday have exhibited as part of my character.

the words: hope. faith. dignity. courage. wisdom. strength. blessed.

i placed them in the bowl so the giraffe can drink them up, a reminder of sorts to me, to drink these things in as well. drink up hope so that each day is something to look forward to. drink up faith so that my heart has something to carry me. drink up dignity so that i can treat each as if they are the most precious person alive and so that i can know that the preciousness applies to myself as well. drink up courage so that i can overcome my fears that too often keep me paralyzed. drink up wisdom so that i will forever be teachable. drink up strength so that i am able to live this life with compassion and bravery. drink up blessedness so that i remember that this life i have is a generous gift sacred because of its awareness of being blessed.

i find myself aware of the fact that i often fall short of being the person i long to be. there is so much room for growth and i hope to always be manifesting it in my life in some way or another. i'm grateful for this gift so that i can remember to drink from this life-giving pool daily, that in reflecting on these words, i take them inside me and let them nourish me and sustain me. i long to be transformed.