I swam from one bay to the other, enjoying the companionship of a puffer fish and a turtle for awhile. The turtle wasn’t much interested so I stretched for a few minutes in the shallows. And when I again pushed my masked face into the water, a southern sting ray was at my feet. At first, I was startled. I had been stretching and she was literally underneath me, the way you would expect a puppy to be. She could have been hurt or stung me. But instead of panicking or flinching, I followed my intuition and laid down about 8″ above her. We floated there together despite that she could have so easily caused me harm with her barbed, venomous whiptail. I was testing her to see if we could be calm together. Or maybe she was testing me.
Eventually, I put my hand to the sand, extending a bridge, it felt like. I wanted to touch her but, at twice her size, the gesture needed to be hers. And it was! She was intentional and aware, swimming across my hand to touch it with the soft underside of her gracious body — over and over.
I kept asking myself, “What have I done in this lifetime to deserve this? How am I deserving of this kind of relationship with such a tender being that wants to feel me as much I want to feel her?”
No answers came.
I have had many humbling experiences in the ocean but most of them have been initiated by me.
I play Shell Keep Away with octopii.
I ask the turtles to swim with me.
I ask puffers to guide me around new reefs.
Today, this gorgeous ray did everything she could to be my friend. My part was only to be there and exude all the love in my heart that was emanating for her there.
