Friday, March 12, 2010

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.

17 comments:

  1. Mollie! That was such a touching story. Brings a whole new meaning to the term "Angel" fish.

    *squeeze*

    (Oh, and we could always start calling you Kmollie or something...) :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. So well put, Mollie! Thanks for sharing your story and putting things into perspective for me this Friday morning. I was out here swimming alone and you saved me :)
    Love and Blessings to you too!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What an incredible story, Mollie.. I fell right into it like a delicious novel - but in this case, it was a true and very touching tale. Thanks so much for sharing this beautiful metaphor for team EPE! : D
    (Hmmm.. hummingbirds and angelfish?)

    ReplyDelete
  4. beautiful and touching story with beautiful art too.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very beautiful story!! I would expect nothing less from you, dear Mollie... Suz

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh Mollie... what a perfect and somewhat emotional story (at least for me who's been at the edge for a couple weeks now), so strange and almost unbelievable. But I do believe it, because it never ceases to amaze me what ALL creatures in the animal kingdom will sometimes do for one another. And you wrote about it, and connected it to our team, so eloquently. Props to you, girl!

    ReplyDelete
  7. What an amazing tale Mollie - and so poignant! Thank you so much for sharing your story and thoughts with us!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great story Mollie! Thanks so much for sharing it with us.

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a beautiful story, Mollie! Thank you for sharing that.

    Looking forward to reading your first interview!

    Love to you and Joe
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  11. PERFECT fish tale for this downtrodden Pisces! I really can relate to your story, in more ways than one...I have also had tropical fish tanks my whole life.
    Thank you for being my Angelfish this past week :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. your little fish and their sweet story and your recounting of it-- and the metaphor for all of us is so beautiful-- i'm sitting here with tears streaming down my face--- thanks dear mollie--

    i look forward to your interview XOXO!

    kathi

    ReplyDelete
  13. Now that is an uplifting story. If only some humans behaved like that.

    ReplyDelete
  14. absolutely incredible story mollie and it brought tears of joy to my heart and rays of hope to my soul! i have known for quite awhile that there is more going on than i will ever realize and true tales such as this, told in a wondrous, insightful and beautiful way, are a validation and happy acumen...thank you!
    i look forward to your first interview this week mollie, i just know it will be FUNtabulous!
    xoxo
    kristin

    ReplyDelete
  15. and this brought tears to my eyes as well. I look at all of you as angelfish...... Thanks for the story Mollie Ann xxoo laura

    ReplyDelete
  16. i never thought a fish story could make me cry, but i've been proven wrong. beautiful, mollie!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow, Mollie, I got all goosebumpy reading that incredible story! Thanks for sharing it with us and telling the tale so beautifully.

    I was actually thinking that it would be great to do an interview with team members so we could get to know each other better! I'm so glad you're already on the ball. I can't wait to see who the first interviewee is!

    Love and hugs to you and everyone else on this amazing team!

    ReplyDelete