Salam from Afghanistan. Have you ever looked into the eyes of a primate and seen your own soul, seen a familiar face that you met in high school, felt a sense of connection? Take a look at Hasani, the San Francisco Zoo's newest baby...a beautiful little gorrilla with more personality than most children!! He connects all of us; across ethnicities, religions, cultures and races. Hasani is a symbol of what we could be one day, a world where we put aside our personal prejudices and see each other as brothers and sisters, see each other as human beings who thrive on love, respect and knowledge, and accept each other for the imperfections instead of persecuting each other because of them.
Beyond Hasani, this week I pulled up a photo of an adult chimpanzee who cradled a young white tiger in her arms..at first I thought it was a photoshop trick...how could a chimpanzee care for a soon to be 200+ pound tiger? After a little research, sure enough the chimpanzee was chosen to care for the tiger cub, breastfeeding included the first few weeks, because the tiger cub was rejected by her mother. Well, I instantly fell in love with these two creatures, juxtaposed in a state of bliss. A few clicks later, this image was my desktop background and I had a few Afghans I work with stop by and ask me about the animals. They laughed, thinking I put the photos together magically...but I quickly let them know that this was a real photo, real love reaching across the lines of several species, not to mention a carnivore who could hunt and kill a chimpanzee was finding warmth and comfort in the arm's of its prey...love and compassion in the purest sense see across all barriers. We are all adaptations of the same mold. Maybe we should look towards animals more often when we need to re-set our perception of people around us. That lady who cut you off in traffic, the teenager who chooses his friends based on how much money they make, the police officer who turns away from defending a citizen in need because of their religion, the Afghan who kills another Afghan because he is angry at the world for not making everyone like him. All of these people were once babies, once innocent little beings who didn't know hatred and sadness, who didn't pass judgement, who giggled at the sight of a human face...any human face and who craved the one thing so many of us often forget how to show - love.
May your Spring be fruitful and the path ahead be filled with unimaginable happiness.
Salam
I only have this to say about your passage above.....beautiful!! Comming from someone as caring and giving as yourself, this is so eye opening to me and I am sure everyone that reads it. Glad to hear your spirits are still high, your an amazing creature yourself.The difference you are making in your work will bring peace, if it is only to a few.
ReplyDeletemiss you sis,
Angel
you know eveything always starts with the number one. one person wanting to make a diffeence, you ae making a big difference in your own way. Thanks Capt. love Dad
ReplyDeleteThanks for the cute pictures. You know just how to show what true innocence is. I love your spirit and inspirational comments. Continue your efforts to make a difference. Love, Mom
ReplyDeleteYou remind me of that chimpanzee cradling, nurturing and loving the baby white tiger. You have no prejudice and can look at everything with clean eyes and a fresh soul. It shows through in your writing.
ReplyDeleteI wish more of us would put forth an effort to make a difference and have just a fraction of the insight/instinct to connect with everyone/everything around us as you do. The world would be such a better place.
Love you, Aggie & Ron