Lessons from Nature: Care and Love

One sunny afternoon the laziness in me was getting attracted towards the b ed. I decided I could rest for some time, but before I forget, I wanted to water the flower pot on my window and that’s when my whole focus shifted from crashing on to the bed to the cat outside my window. The cat had three kittens and it was grooming them. It licked them gently while the kittens were playfully jumping all over and the mother cat was watching over them. I could not believe my eyes it was the same cat that was hissing at me a few days back while I accidently reached too close to it. I was also reminded how the same cat had mercilessly caught and killed a vulnerable pigeon. It had also got into an ugly situation with a dog that just wanted to play; it scratched the dog so bad that it would have gone blind. 

I was lost in my thoughts, but a tiny tin dropped by one of the kittens brought me back to reality. I wondered to myself, how this cat which is generally so cruel be so nice. I realized that even we humans, are kind, loving and compassionate towards the people we like. We human beings are blessed with reason and understanding and it’s easier for us to take control and know the difference between good and bad. I was thrilled by what I was thinking; I felt how Thomas Edison must have felt while inventing the bulb. We have become destructive because the love within us is sinking. In olden days most people lived knowing and loving those around them. In the villages people knew practically everybody, thus would not want to hurt. We claim that technology has made the entire world a global village, but we don’t even know the person staying in the adjacent flat in my building. There are thefts and murders in our neigbourhood and we get to know about this through social media after a few some time, we aren’t there to console or help the victims or distressed. My biggest realization was that if we have a little love and care we could change the world and make it a better place. Hatred can’t be fought with hatred we need love to defeat it. Let’s be kind and try to love all.

Lessons from Nature: Don’t be ashamed

 On an unusual gloomy day I went out for a walk. The weather was crazy that day, it was suddenly raining cats and dogs and the next moment there was bright sunshine. 

As I was trying to comprehend the weather I looked around, it was a beautiful sight with all the greenery around. It was blowing and I could feel the freshness, but suddenly my olfactory indicators identified a foul stench and I soon realized that it was from the piggery nearby so I advanced towards it.  As we were walking towards it I could hear my friend whispering all sought of curses at the pigs. I love animals but I didn’t say a word. I saw Chinu-Mama with the wet waste dustbin, feeding the pigs. As I looked towards the piggery I felt I was hypnotized I could not think clearly.  My vision was blurred. As I was struggling I precipitously came back to reality. I imagined the world without pigs in particular and other animals that clean our surrounding in general. How filthy and dirty our world would be? No animals to clean up thus increase in waste and rotting of waste would give rise to various diseases. 

I thanked God for creating pigs and other animals that clean our surrounding. I suddenly heard someone saying to Chinu-Mama: “Do your work quickly there is lot more to do”. This harsh voice brought me back to reality, and in all consciousness I said another prayer, this time it was for us human beings. I asked God to give us the grace to respect all, irrespective of their caste, creed, language, colour and most importantly occupation. I prayed for wisdom so that we may realize the hard work and importance of people who are doing what society would term as ‘dirty work’. 

Another important learning was that, pigs actually are more than what we know about them. Pigs are smart! Their intelligence is higher than a dog’s. Pigs are naturally clean, they like to bath and keep them cool. When they are trained, piglets can learn their names at just two to three weeks old. They can learn to respond when called and learn tricks faster than dogs. Pigs have excellent memories. They can remember things for years and can recognize and remember objects! A pig’s sense of smell is about 2000 times more sensitive than human's. Pigs are incredibly social. They form close bonds with each other and other animals. To keep warm, pigs may cuddle up with one another.

Do you still hate pigs? Pigs despite all these qualities of theirs are not ashamed of doing what society would call dirty jobs. Why are we human beings ashamed? Why do we judge each other according to our occupation?

Moral: Do not be ashamed, you are doing nothing wrong, your job is so special that all aren’t able to do it.