Enchantment is the oldest form of medicine.  – Carl Jung

Years ago, as our jeep in Africa crested over the edge of a steep hill, we saw just below us a family of giraffes, slow-motion galloping across the road, their necks swaying to the rhythm of their own feet.

I was enchanted. 

Last week, I turned the corner of my own street in my own hometown, and there before me was a whole herd of elephants, processing down Commonwealth Avenue under the leafy and decidedly un-tropical canopy.

I was enchanted.

And I was not the only one! When I returned in the daylight, crowds of people were weaving in and out of the herd, every single person looking dreamy and awestruck.

Dear ones, heaven knows that we often encounter situations that are decidedly un-enchanting. So when we’re presented with unexpected delights, that’s all the more reason to celebrate. 

Let’s pause.

Let’s do a little dance of glee.

Let’s thank our lucky stars.

* Did you know a group of giraffes is called a “tower” when they are standing, and a “journey” when they are moving? A third option for such a group is “kaleidoscope”!

The Great Elephant Migration is an ongoing project to foster understanding of the web (“not a pyramid”) of our interconnected life on earth. The herd can be seen in Boston through September 13.