26/09/2026
In May 2011, on a small island in Brazil, a 71-year-old fisherman named João found an injured penguin trapped among the rocks, barely alive. He gently freed it, took it home, and cared for it for two weeks. Then he brought it to a nearby island and released it back into the wild.
To his surprise, the penguin returned to him that very evening. Overjoyed, João named it Dindim. From then on, they walked together and kept each other company.
A year later, Dindim suddenly disappeared. João searched everywhere, but months passed with no sign of him. Just as he was beginning to lose hope, Dindim returned on his own. After that, he would leave for a time between February and June each year, then come back to João.
Biologists later discovered that Dindim traveled to distant Patagonia to join other penguins and breed. Then he made a journey of about 8,000 kilometers to return to João.
João cared for Dindim for just two weeks, yet Dindim came back year after year. He could not speak or say thank you, but each long journey back seemed to carry the memory of João’s kindness. To Dindim, that little island was more than a place to rest. It was a home where someone waited for him.
Perhaps our relationships are much the same. At difficult moments in our lives, someone may have comforted us with a few words, reached out a hand, or simply stayed by our side. Then life grew busy. We kept our affection to ourselves, put off the things we wanted to say, and never quite made that simple phone call.
We assume there will always be more time. Yet some people cannot wait forever. They may need no gift at all. In a lonely moment, they may simply hope to hear your voice and know that you still think of them. Do not let “I’m busy” slowly create distance between you and someone you love. Do not wait until you can no longer reach them to wish you had said, “I still remember you. I miss you.”
-Chogyal Rinpoche
