to the little things

Have you ever noticed how the "big" things in life have a tendency to take over?  For the 3,232,152 time, I was looking at the Africa pictures, trying to decide which elephant picture was best.  Where was the best shot of the warthog?  And did I really need 3180 pictures of giraffes?  When I cam across this shot.  As I recall, it was an extremely small capture--but one that really shows off!  The fighting hippos movie takes my breath away.  The lion, close enough to reach out a pet, sends chills down my spine.  The memory of the elephants chasing the lions is one I will never forget.  And yet, I come back to this shot.  It was just there...surviving...flourishing...making its own statement!  And it reminded me that spectacular doesn't have to be the biggest.  Spectacular doesn't have to be the loudest.  Spectacular doesn't have to grab the spotlight.  Spectacular is that small part of the big picture that somehow manages to create beauty...to quietly exist.  And isn't there that part of the grand scheme of things in all of us?  We have a tendency to miss the small, enticing things by getting caught up in the larger effect.  We need to spend a little more time reveling in the quiet, amazing parts that each of us has!  And that's my philosophical diatribe for the day!  By the way, the elephant, the giraffes, the lions, and the warthog will take center stage in the soon-to-be-created powerpoint, available soon for oral discussion and viewing.  But NEVER underestimate the beauty that is often hidden, and know how much you are loved!