Last Sunday was a perfect day to kayak on Jamaica Bay. The sky was clear, the water was calm and the birds were celebrating life.  When we went ashore across the bay, I felt myself drawn to a flock of white birds out on the water. In that moment, I remembered what one of my spiritual teachers had once told me. While I cannot recall the actual quote, the idea was that when you are at a place of peace within, animals sense this and feel completely safe in your presence.