Swimming in the Stream of Life

Atlanta, Georgia

One of the great destinations in the Southeast has come to be the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. This epic facility draws as many as twenty thousand visitors in a day. For hours people wait to gain admission to this marine wonderland, to experience the beauty of a world often unrealized by those of us consigned to living on land. Even though constrained to live on land, we are free to swim, ride in boats, descend in submarines, and otherwise experience the delights of our water world. If we so choose we can swim with the dolphins.

Alas, there are many of us unable to experience the joys of recreation and social connections because of medical or genetic misfortunes. Many thousands of children around the world have been burdened with congenital genetic nightmares or have been subject to disfiguring and disabling accidents. In many countries, disfigured or deformed children are consigned to a life of hopeless neglect and despair. Childspring International has as its mission the redemption of the lives of as many of these children as possible. Last year nearly 200 of these children were brought to the United States to have life saving and life changing surgery. The value of the cost of treatment for these children was in the tens of millions. To each of the children the value was beyond price.

This week four hundred and sixty of us privileged individuals made a pilgrimage to the Georgia Aquarium for a chance to watch the beluga whales and the whale sharks glide through the turquoise waters of seven million gallon tanks. For the evening the place was ours. Suited up in our black velvet and diamonds, silk cummerbunds and tails, we showed up to celebrate the visionary lives of those who seek to include these special needs children into their lives. We saw the vast difference that a single individual can make in the lives of many. As awe-inspiring as it is to see these great denizens of the deep glide soundlessly through the waters, far more compelling was to experience the vision of those who see beyond themselves.

We enjoyed our well-presented dining experience, made new friends, danced to the sounds of a grand twenty piece dance orchestra, and relished the prospect of telling others about this modern gospel of healing. I don’t think I will see fish quite the same again.

I arrived home at 1:40 AM, having been reminded of my privileged station in life and my responsibility to bring as many other souls along with me to a better place as possible.