The world offers holistic education, every single day, by just being the way it is, and one doesn’t have to struggle for experiential learning. All it takes is to be patient and receptive, even it means sensory overload, because even the weight of a holistic love for the world… for life in general, is only tender.
Today, we remind ourselves gently, again, that our connection with animals in terms of evolution helps us understand our own place in this natural world through means that fall beyond the emotional spectrum of all that makes us human. And this attempt is, of course, without belittling the visceral human feelings, the utterly human search for meaning, identity and rationale. Perhaps it can complement such quests by harmonizing our existence on this ‘pale blue dot’.
And peace and compassion, the humanitarian values, which we humans believe can be achieved through such an understanding, can begin with an immense love for animals that inhabit this planet, the only home for all of us. This knowledge and empathy can even lift our spirits when our minds are bogged down by the unconstructive, mundane details that are limited to the human world alone.
Every animal has characteristics that we can observe and learn from. Imbibing such traits and being mindful of their natural behaviour will only improve our relationship with them and reduce the intensity of risks that we are imposing on them and eventually ourselves with each passing day. On World Animal Day, we at Toehold, hope we keep our minds and hearts open to such learning that leads us all to a better, more peaceful world. Happy World Animal Day!