Have you ever watched Koi fish? Recently, I photographed the Koi fish swimming in a tank in our local Chinese restaurant.
The owner was so excited that I was photographing his fish. When my camera's batteries died, he eagerly found some replacements for me...so I could keep photographing.
The Koi, originally brought to rice paddies to serve as food for the workers, were patiently bred by the Japanese for their glorious colors and patterns.
They are the subject of beautiful Koi art, myths and Japanese folklore.
They have individual personalities, make wonderful pets, and can be trained to eat out of your hand. I read one account where the owner would pick up his koi, throw him back in the pond, and he would come swimming back for some more "play".
Perhaps we have many things to learn from the koi fish. Here's a painting I did of two that looked like they were "in love".
