Like so many people in the UK, I've been shocked this week by the amount of death and violence reported on the news. What makes people lose it and turn feral, or feel they have the political right to kill another ? It seems to be a modern day phenomena that violence erupts like a volcano and then subsides again. Even the report of a fox attacking two children in their beds seemed strange and un-nerving. Although we were told in the report this is not unusual behaviour for foxes, those of us who live in the countryside are well used to fox attacks of chickens in hen runs or lambs in the fields, but I've never heard of a fox going indoors, walking upstairs into a bedroom and attacking sleeping children.
Somehow the highlighting of the harsh caused my mind to be drawn to the tender side of life...and to follow are two snapshots of the kind of thing I mean ...
On Friday I took my cat to the vet and whilst sitting in the waiting room an elderly lady came in. She looked like she had suffered a recent stroke as one side of her face was crooked and her left eye drooping, and carried with her a large cage with a chicken snuggled comfortably on a blanket....she was totally focussing on the hen to the exclusion of the rest of us in the room (unusual at a country vet's) ..and you could just feel her care & concern towards her small avine companion.
The following morning I was sitting in a cafe having some coffee .. looking out of the window, watching passers by. Another elderly lady came along, obviously very arthritic and assisting herself with the use of a stout walking stick. She was accompanied by her mongoloid looking son for whom she had obviously cared his whole life. The bond between them was tangible..but what was so moving was that he was taking care of her, with his hand placed carefully on her back and steadying her as they moved along in harmony.
Somehow it is this tender side to life that to me seems at the heart of the special contribution that humanity has to bring to the table of life and living. That ability to exercise choice and consciousness to make the world a softer kinder place....
These are such moving stories, thanks for sharing them :-) They resonate in the core of me, and confirm what life (to me at least) is all about; The bond between living creatures, be it animals, animal and human or human and human (-or what about God and humans!). So no wonder, one can feel the awe, when witnessing this care and devotion amidst the other scenarios, you describe. Thank God we have eyes to see, and recognize what is of importance...
ReplyDeleteThese are such moving stories, thanks for sharing them :-) They give me a feeling of what is naturally ment to be: The bonds between living creatures, be it between animals, animal and human, human and human, or even God and humans. No wonder we stop, when meeting real care and devotion, and isn´t it great we have the eyes to see how things were ment to be? Especially in the light of the stories, you mentioned at first...
ReplyDeleteYes, defintely ..... and it is all the more touching when someone is in difficut times themselves..and can still find that compassion and kindness.
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