In a time of intense polarization, loving communication is key.
“Keep the line tight, you’re doing great,” my dad said as I was in the final steps of reeling in my first trophy Northern Pike. The setting was an annual family pilgrimage to Snowshoe Lake in Canada in early June. Little did I know that moment with my father and this enormous fish would become a significant life lesson.
To cement my status as a master angler and to secure my bragging rights back at camp, photographic evidence was required to support the “Big Fish” stories I planned to tell for years to come. After a proper staging for the photo, I noticed my prized catch was in an advanced state of suffocation. The concern on my dad’s face was motivation enough to get the fish back in the water quickly. The next few moments would be critical as I, with the help of my dad, tried to revive the fish.
The crucial step in the revival process is not to shock the fish as you move it slowly back-and-forth in the water allowing freshwater to flow over its’ gills. Once the fish has been resuscitated, it will swim away on its own. Helping my father get the fish into the water, I leaned over and followed my dad’s hand down to the pike’s tail to begin the reviving process. My focus was no longer on the victory of the catch but on the desperate need to preserve this beautiful creation.
After what seemed like a half hour, I began to worry we might fail. At that moment I noticed my dad was completely in the boat, no longer helping me revive the fish. He said, “Keep your grip tight, move slowly, you’re doing great.”
Just as I looked back at the fish, it extricated itself from my grip with a spectacular tail kick and disappeared into the waters below. As I later …
from The Exchange http://ift.tt/1o1xNSV
via IFTTT