Happy Friday!

Hello Everybody!  I’m Mollie, the fourth of the team bloggers and the only M among the Ks!

Starting next week, Friday will be “Interview Day” here on the blog, when we’ll all get a peek into the life and work of one of our own team members. 

I’m excited and honored to be playing the role of interviewer, and I can hardly wait to introduce my first interviewee, who will be – but no … come back next week and find out!

Meanwhile, here’s a fish tale …

Some of you may know that my hubby “Prospero Joe” and I are the devoted servants of two aquariums of freshwater tropical fish.  Our first tank, a 20-gallon beauty, came into our lives and hearts four years ago, complete with eight young inhabitants, among them a lovely silver angel fish and a strange specimen called a paradise gourami. 

Early on the gourami, whom we named Missy, fell ill – shivering and trembling near the bottom of the tank and falling victim to bullying by six feisty little tetras.  Despite our best efforts, nothing we tried helped at all; Missy would soon die.  Then, out of nowhere came the little angel, and we expected her to join the tetras in the attack.  But no.  As we watched in astonishment, the angel took on the role of protector, constantly hovering about an inch above Missy and defending her from further assault. 

Whenever Missy struggled to the surface for the frequent gulp of air necessary to her species, the angel accompanied her; when Missy sank exhausted to the gravel, the angel drifted down to resume her watch.  For many days this ritual continued, Missy fighting bravely for her life, the angel guarding.  We named the angel Flo, for Florence Nightingale.

I should mention here that the angel fish is a cichlid, not normally a sociable creature with any species but its won.  The gourami is an anabantid, closely related to the infamous Siamese fighting fish (the betta) and known as a solitary and often aggressive tankmate. 

As far as Joe and I could tell, these two small creatures never met eye to eye, never touched so much as a fin, never communicated in any way their human observers could comprehend. 

And yet ... and yet …

While the tetras took to minding their own business in other parts of the aquarium, Missy began to gain strength.  Her shivering slowly abated, and she began to swim more freely, with Flo always close by. 

Then one fine spring morning, Missy won her long and arduous battle.  She sailed through the water, ate voraciously and declared herself recovered.  And Flo, her mission accomplished, turned her thoughts to … whatever angels turn their thoughts to.  

Both Missy and Flo are gone now, but their true story is one we’ll never forget.  And it’s a story I want to share here today with you, the members of this amazing and wonderful team.  Because I’ve come to see that at certain times in our lives we are all gouramis – ill, frightened, struggling for breath.  And at other times, we are all angels – protecting, defending, standing watch through the long dark night, until those in need are once again restored to health and strength.  

Until next week and the first interview … love and blessings to us all.