Drop of Water

Everyone has heard the old story asking, “is the glass half full or half empty?” Recently I was told another version that I had never heard before.

No, it was not the story that told us simply to, “add some golf balls and your cup will runeth over.”

No, this story does not involve adding anything to fill the glass. Our dilemma may arise in the fact that we tend to focus on the water. We see a void, no matter if our glass is half full or half empty.

In another way, we could simply change the glass. Is it possible we have enough water to completely fill the void if we just chose a smaller glass? Sure, we can even choose a much smaller glass so we have some water left over. With this water we can help others fill their own glass.

Elephant Conservation Center

This successful breeding center, about an hour outside Chiang Mai, takes care of 12 elephants. They have added three babies, through natural fertilization, over the past 4 years. The baby in this picture, who playfully enjoyed running into me head first while feeding his mother, is just over 8 months old. The center adopts elephants from around Thailand when they can no longer be cared for. The natural habitat provides them with a trail walk and bath in the river every day. The caretakers are mostly hill-tribe natives who have experience working with the big gentle creatures.

A black cat

Here comes the spring
so I take a walk
to the temple I bring
A long thought

The hike was usual
a long trip of mind
but at the top
A joy I would find

I payed my respects
to the monks who do
what most of us neglect
To follow through

Then a little soul
dressed in black
crossed my path
And I was taken back

I played with the cat
with my walking staff
till it purred away
And rubbed my back

As I walked away
the cat confused
i wanted to stay
Not just for today

The trail led on
down the rocky slope