Several years ago I fell in love with Goldfish-Koi ponds.  My cowboy and I spent quite some time checking out several of the best pondscape stores and on the internet getting ideas.  One day we bought some supplies and decided to build one into the deck which morphed into two and eventually three.  After a house fire pretty much destroyed our yard, as well as our house we kind of let things go.  Still every Spring, there they were, a few of the fish hiding in the wildness swimming around.  I wanted my peace back and so two years ago we got back to fixing up one of the ponds and getting some more fish.  I got to again spend some time relaxing outside enjoying the view and watching them swimming around.

Why so fascinating you wonder?  What is it that we can learn from a goldfish for goodness sake.  No big brain power there.  They are pretty and come in many varieties, sort of like flowers they are.  You want to get one of each kind.  Very low maintenance.  They just require some fresh air, water and food.  If you skip a  few days feeding it’s no big deal because really there is plenty in the water already for them to eat.  Very self sufficient they are.  But wise?  And yet….

Consider how they function.  They except their element, they adapt to their environment.  Small space, no big deal.  They are content to swim, and eat and mate.  Two fish or ten fish they embrace them all.  Warm weather stirs their soul, makes them active.  They enjoy the bounty that God provides with the season and play hide and seek amid the vegetation.  Move them to a larger space, no big deal.   More room to swim and yet they still eat and mate and explore their environment.  They take joy in what is simple and accept what they have but are willing to embrace change and to accept good fortune but they don’t waste their time waiting for it.  Then the Fall comes and things change, the days get shorter and the water cooler and they start to slow down, time to take stock, find a safe place to winter and prepare for what is to come.  Then when the Winter sets in they really come to a stand still, they hunker down and ride it out.  Waiting again because they know that the Winter will pass and Spring will come again.

This year has been especially interesting because the weather cooled down and they were getting ready.  You can tell because they slow down and don’t come to top as much.  You don’t have to feed them in the Winter because they slow down so much but this year after the initial cool down it warmed back to Springtime weather.  Guess what, they adapted, back to the top, swimming around and enjoying the warmth.  No questions asked, no complaints or expectations.  They just accepted the gift and now as the cold sets in again back to the bottom they go.  Not worrying about what was or what is to come because they know…Spring is coming back.

And that is the wisdom of goldfish.  Accept what is, make the best of it, it doesn’t matter what size family, job, house, car or space you have been given,  just enjoy those little surprises fully that may come your way and know with a heart full of hope that Spring and Summer will return.