“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.”—Charles Darwin
We are housesitting over on Puget Sound. We love coming here. One of our tasks is feeding the fish. The gardens here are amazing and the owners have three large ponds that are connected by a river that runs along the side of the house and drains into another pond outside our bedroom. The sound of water is so soothing here.These ponds are full of brightly colored koi. When I come close to the ponds the fish get excited. I know they are expecting food. Actually, I don't really have to feed them because there is enough algae in the ponds for them to live off of, but it's nice to get a treat every now and then.
Not only do we feed the fish, but we also feed the cats (all four of them) and the birds! There's lots of wildlife and nature here. It's a little oasis of peace.
At our home in Seattle, we don't feed anyone except ourselves. We don't have kids, dogs, cats, birds or fish. We have quite a number of plants, however. My husband's theory is that if a plant dies, you don't feel so bad about it.
Actually, to tell you quite honestly, I feel very grateful for my life and wouldn't change a thing. I haven't felt the need to add a kid, dog, cat, bird or fish to the mix, but I still love all of the aforementioned.
I feel happy to see the faces of children and the touch of newborn babies, I love cuddling with cats of any size or personality, a dog is fun to throw a stick to or even a frisbee, birds are fascinating to watch as they eat from the feeders or gather sticks for their nests, fish are beautiful to see effortlessly gliding under the water. I feel so full of all of these.
It's a treat to be here. We get to feed fish. Love is meant to flow from one being to the next, it's everywhere and it can never be owned. Feeding the fish reminds me that all creatures great and small are worthy of our attention.
Do you pay attention to all creatures great and small around you?
I do, I do! I grew up in a house full of pets, and it's a love that will last me a lifetime. I've lived on my own for the past two and a half years, and it's the first time I've ever lived without an animal. I think about getting one every day, but if I'm honest with myself, I don't have the time to commit to an animal's various needs, and I think people who get animals without the intention of taking care of them are cruel. The "stray" cat I've begun feeding actually belongs to the guy upstairs, I've come to find out, and he doesn't even have the decency to feed this cat. This cat is flea-ridden and skinny, most likely riddled with worms, and here I am, unable to quell the need to help this cat.
ReplyDeleteThe compassion we show to the small creatures of the world speaks a lot to the type of people we are, and I appreciate the quality in you that loves and respects other living things. You're blessing the whole world through your efforts- love begets love.