A short while back I had the privilege of visiting the University of Florida Museum of Natural History. I’ll begin by saying the museum perfectly depicts mother nature, the farmer. If you have any interest in agriculture and nature, I highly recommend a visit. You could easily spend an entire day enjoying the beauty and science of plants and the tremendous exhibitions.
I went with my wife and our daughter Kate, who will graduate from the university in May. The museum offers incredible exhibitions from a snake exhibit featuring a 48 foot Titanoboa weighing 2500 pounds, a crocodile exhibit featuring a 40 foot monster, and a Butterfly Rainforest exhibit. The Butterfly exhibit offers the opportunity to stroll along a walking path and enjoy the waterfalls and hundreds of free flying butterflies, flowering plants, and other wild life. This was a slice of heaven for me and extra special because it is something Kate and I both love, and could enjoy together.
Our daughter Kate has an affinity for photography. She began as a volunteer at the museum and later progressed to media services assistant where she photographs the museum’s special events. When we arrived at the museum we stepped in line to pay and were told, “You’re not paying, you’re Kate’s parents.”
Kate served as a perfect tour guide; she’s photographed every part of the museum. As we walked through the museum, we were greeted by staff who all expressed their adoration of Kate. Everyone shared how much they enjoyed working with her. When I think of that moment and Kate, it confirms how I’ve always thought of her. For Kate, there is no least of them nor most of them; there is only them. Kate is a kind and collegial team mate to everyone she works with, and it was a very proud moment for her mother and me. To be surrounded by the beauty of nature made all the more special.
