Generosity
Generosity Unlocks Doors Inside of Us – Seth Godin
This is a dark time in world history. My heart breaks to read about the senseless murder of innocent people and the mass destruction of Ukraine. It is easy to feel powerless and slip into despair. We can donate money to aid organizations on the ground, it helps. People in neighbouring countries are doing even more, they are inviting refugees into their homes. Here’s the good news, as humans we are more inclined to help and be compassionate than to kill and be cruel.
When I read about people opening their doors to strangers, I remember the Tesuque Ranger at a National Park in New Mexico who described how they never lock their homes. The Tesuque believe it is important to welcome whoever comes to your door because you never know what form the Great Spirit will take. This attitude of kindness and openness shows up everywhere – welcoming refugees, caring for orphaned wildlife, sharing a smile with someone you meet.
Kindness is contagious. The best way to overcome prejudice and fear is to keep our hearts open and accept our common humanity. Around the globe there are inspiring stories of people helping others, caring for wildlife, and protecting the planet. I believe, no matter how small the effort, acts of kindness make a difference and influence others. Goodwill in action is infectious! It fuels hope, shifts mindsets, and initiates positive change.
No matter where we live, we don’t need to look far to find tragedy. While war rages in Ukraine a devastating drought is creating havoc in East Africa. People are starving. When there is no rain both crops and wildlife suffer. In the past year Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Northern Kenya rescued more than three times the number of orphans than usual. The Samburu dig deep wells in dry riverbeds to access water for their livestock. They share these wells with elephants who come to drink at night. Unfortunately, every now and then a calf falls into the well. Elephants do all they can to rescue the baby but sometimes they are forced to abandon a calf. When the herders return with their livestock and discover an orphan in the well, they call the Kenya Wildlife Service or organizations like Save The Elephants for help. Here’s a 2 minute video of the effort it takes to rescue an elephant.
If the calf cannot be reunited with its mother, it is transported to Indigenous owned and run Reteti Elephant Orphanage. Elephants are intelligent and emotional beings. They show love, compassion, and demonstrate extraordinary problem-solving skills. There have been a couple of incidents this year where the elephants returned to the well but did not accept the baby back into the herd. Perhaps they recognized that their offspring had a better chance if they let Reteti keepers care for the calf when survival in the wild is so tenuous due to the drought?
The best way to fight darkness is to shine our light at every opportunity. When we focus on what is good and beautiful in the world the ripple of impact travels far.
Samburu guide Peter Lentinina feeds two orphaned giraffes, victims of Northern Kenya’s drought. The Samburu have co-existed with wildlife for centuries. They know a lot about surviving the challenges of drought.
P.S. I’m happy to report that Heartfelt Stories raised $50 US in memory of Fig the leopard who died earlier this month. The funds were donated to Wildlife Direct and will support a group of up to 10 students for a day trip to the Wildlife Warriors Field Lab including materials, meals, and beverages.