It was a sunny afternoon when our family was waiting eagerly on the dock for the boat that would send us where we stayed.
My niece En and my nephew Thirdy scanned the shoreline for something to keep them entertained.
They're walking down to the water's edge until their eyes catch sight of something unusual half-buried in the sand.
It was a starfish!
Not just any starfish, mind you, but a particularly large and vibrant one. Complete with bright brown arms.
Thirdy picked up the starfish and then held it proudly as if it were the coolest trophy ever.
I also try to hold it. I felt the rough texture of its skin and I marveled at its intricate design.
Thirdy, who picked it up, wanted to keep it. He also named it Captain Spikey!
En, on the other hand, don't think it's a good idea.
When I asked Thirdy why he wanted to keep it, he just said,
"I wanna keep the starfish 'cause it's so cute, and I wanna take care of it and it will be my new best friend!"
While En insisted that,
"It belongs in the ocean. Plus, imagine how sad it would be if we took it away from its home!”
They continued arguing, with neither of them willing to give in.
Until their Mom intervened and made a solution while listening to them patiently.
She said,
"We need to release the starfish back to the ocean."
Thirdy felt a pang of disappointment, but looking at the starfish, he knew that setting it free was the right thing to do.
Together, En and Thirdy walked to the water's edge and gently released the starfish into the ocean.
And with that, the argument was forgotten.
These two kids make me incredibly proud.
Releasing the starfish back into the ocean was a selfless and compassionate decision, and it shows that they both have big hearts and a deep appreciation for the natural world.
It's not always easy to let go of something we love, but they both understood that the starfish belonged in its home, and they made the right choice.
Just then, we heard the sound of a boat engine approaching. We turned to see our motorized bangka pulling up to the shore.
Its captain waved at us with a friendly smile.
En and Thirdy gather their belongings while cheering excitedly.
We climbed aboard the bangka, and the captain welcomed us with a warm greeting.
As we pulled away from the shore and the sun began to set, the kids started to get sleepy.
Their eyelids drooped from the day's exertions.
I helped them settle in, and soon they were both dozing off, lulled by the gentle rocking of the boat.
And that's how our special day ends.
Until our next adventure together... Buh-bye. 👋💗