Lesson from a Drop of Water
Our last drop of magic is right here.
The Backstory
Waiting for the school bus every morning is part of my normal routine from fall to spring. We walk outside, sit on tree stumps, and chat about how the frost-covered grass crunches when you walk on it.
As I stare down the road, there near the driveway grows a young Japanese oak tree. One particular morning was so wet you could swim through the air, and the acorns hadn’t fallen off of the trees just yet, so I decided to inspect the tree seeds more closely. As I approached the tree, I ended up looking down the street through a natural lens that generated an upside-down view.
The Object
This tiny drop of water was struggling to hang onto the acorn with every last bit of might that it had.
I’m not sure why I stared at it as long as I did.
I suppose its similar to why my daughter stomps through the frosty grass over and over and over and over again.
For me, I was froze staring at water dripping from an acorn.
The curve of the drop was so clear and precise, and the natural lens created a fascinating warped image of the road. I couldn’t help but study the water droplet and move my head around to get a holistic view of this strange world shown on the other side.
The Lesson
However, as a looked through the water droplet to the other side, I wasn’t thinking about why or how this phenomenon was happening.
I wasn’t thinking about the different lens properties that exist, how the “stickiness” of water works, why moisture stays in the air, or why our brains and eyes get captivated by neat things. You know… all the science-y stuff that makes the world less “magical” and full of wonder.
Sometimes, I just don’t want or need to know.
I want to enjoy the experience, appreciate the magic, and avoid freaking myself out with a doomsday scenario.
This drop of water clinging onto the acorn represents the last drop of magic we have.
We can look through the water lens and wonder how does that happen… OR… we can look through it and say, “Wow! That’s pretty cool.” Then, invite someone else to come take a look.
There’s no need to over-analyze the water droplet, because it doesn’t matter.
The Take-aways:
- Never stop being amazed.
- Never stop being curious.
- Never stop being magical.
- Never stop being yourself.
In today’s world, all of the fun and magic in most things gets sucked out of what we do. Too many topics are overly sensitive, overly personal, or overly analyzed; most of the time, nobody should really care.
Before the water droplet falls… all you need to do… is take a closer look… and enjoy the view.
Written by Shaun Holloway.
