Compassion

If there is one lesson that a person should learn in their lifetime it is that of compassion. I'm not sure I'm there yet ... but I am trying.

I recently posted a link on Facebook to a video made of a young man who found a baby hummingbird and nursed it back to health. It touched me. For one reason, most of the images we get of teenaged boys is of kids who don't give a damn - which is totally untrue. But the other reason it touched me is for the same reason that any story of true compassion between man and animal or between two different species of animal really touch my heart. Two souls being connected in a mystical fashion - it makes me more than content. And it restores my faith.

This one about the friendship between the dog and the elephant is particularly good. As is the story of Owen and Mzee, the baby hippo and tortoise who bonded. Or the dog who risked his life rescuing kittens from a fire. And I particularly liked the one about the elephant seal who made friends with the woman on the beach.

Actually, there are so many of these stories that I can't list them all here. But why do they touch my heart so? Because these animals, that a lot of people think don't have souls or personalities, are showing such compassion towards people and other beings that they generally don't show compassion towards. It makes me believe that we all have souls - the animals and the people. And that we are all connected if we allow ourselves to be.

Being cruel to other people or animals ends up hurting your own soul more than anything else. Being compassionate helps it grow. I choose growth.

Comments

  1. stacieNovember 20, 2010 at 11:11 PM

    thanks for sharing! i love these kind of stories! very uplifting!

    ReplyDelete
  2. DanaLeaNovember 26, 2010 at 12:38 AM

    Love this post. Humans have a lot to learn about being kind to one another. They really need to look at the animal kingdom. Most days, I like my cats way more than the people I meet.

    Dana

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousDecember 1, 2010 at 12:06 PM

    I do love you. I really do.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sandi RatchDecember 1, 2010 at 4:06 PM

    Thanks, anonymous. Is that you, Mom?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Titanic Connections

Image
100 years ago today, my Great-Grandmother, Nellie Steele, must have been grieving the fact that she had missed the most exciting trip of her life.  Her fiance, my Great-Grandfather, Jack McCurrach, had travelled to Canada 1 1/2 years earlier and was awaiting her arrival so they could marry.  But her sister was very ill and expecting a baby, and as it turned out she died about a month after the baby was born.  My Great-Grandmother stayed behind to support her sister and then take care of the baby girl until she could be adopted out.  The original plan was to take the Titanic to Canada.  Families on both sides of the Atlantic remember the story.  The disappointment that she felt in being delayed in her trip and missing the most celebrated sailing of any ship in history must have been devestating.  And the relief felt when she found out about the sinking of the ship must have knocked the wind out of her.  Talk about feeling somehow blessed - she must have been thanking God.  She end
Read more

Flea Beetles! ... and leaf miners.

Image
When I went out to the garden this morning, I found little holes in several tomato plant leaves.  "Argh", I thought.  "Flea Beetles!"  I hadn't heard about flea beetles until last year when our friend, Justin, lost all his tomato plants to the darned little things.  His plants were seedlings at the time, and apparently that is when they are most vulnerable.  He told me that you could trap the beetles with sticky yellow traps - and that was the extent of what I knew.  Flea beetles are about the size of a flea, and have long back legs and jump (just like a flea).  I hate fleas.  And I suspect that I'm going to learn to hate flea beetles, too.  So I went online quickly this morning before going to work.  Yes, flea beetles are fairly common and attack tomatoes, potatoes, and some of the cruciferous plants.  I'll let you know if they get into my leafy veggies - apparently they like them, too.  Sticky traps might help, so might Rotenone powder - which I am
Read more

Recipes from the summer of '35

Image
With the economy going the way it is, I thought looking back at some Depression Era recipes might help people save some money and maybe think about eating in a different way. It may also cause a laugh or two - which we can all use. So here are some examples from The Daily Province in Vancouver, British Columbia, printed 25 July. The weekly menu was suggested here: Just looking at the menu shows us how different things are now. This was meant for a housekeeper (whether a domestic goddess or hired staff). Here is one of the main dish recipes (Monday Supper) that we all might have the ingredients for: Scalloped Tuna Fish and Potatoes. 
Read more