As long as I can remember, I have had a penchant for elephants. I love the fact that they are family oriented and matriarchal. And aside from the fact that I feel like a "cow" some days or that I get my trunk tangled in my offsprings' business more than I should, I think maybe that I relate to the lives of elephants. We have alot in common.
An elephant family is led by a matriarch, the oldest and most experienced of the herd. Not that I want to flaunt my seniority, but that would be me! The matriarchal society consists of her female offspring and their young. Sounds similiar to me and my girls with the only exception that I have a gentle "bull" in our midst. In some cases the family may include one of the matriarch's sisters and her offspring as well. My sister and her kids lived down the street for years. It is this close contact and relationship that allows the rest of the elephants to acquire the knowledge they need to thrive.
So In Africa if I can only see one animal in its natural habitat, I hope it will be an elephant -- and even better -- a mama elephant and her babes. So Darcy and I are making like elephants this summer; staying close and learning what we need to know to survive and thrive.
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