Love is still alive around us

Last weekend, while waiting in the reception of an international school for my wife to finish her interview, I found myself idly flipping through magazines. As I passed the time, I began to observe the people around me, and a few moments stood out.

• One was a young girl, about the same age as my son, who had been waiting patiently for over an hour for her mother to pick her up after school. Her radiant smile was truly captivating, yet I was struck by the contrast with her mother’s demeanor. The mother seemed distant and devoid of warmth—there was no trace of the joy or affection that should accompany such a simple moment. It was perplexing to see how an adult could overlook the charm of a child's smile, a gesture so effortless and yet so precious.

• Another scene involved a boy from the hostel, who was being picked up by his mother for the weekend. Despite her well-groomed appearance and energetic stride, the mother seemed indifferent to her child. The boy, burdened with what appeared to be a bag of dirty clothes, trailed behind her, lacking the energy to even wave or smile. The mother walked ahead with the poise of a model, seemingly oblivious to the weary child following her.

These observations left me feeling disheartened. It seems as though the essence of nurturing and affection in these relationships has diminished. Where has the genuine love of mothers gone? 

I wondered what has caused this disconnect?

To soothe my troubled mind, my son shared a story about our dog, who had run out of the house compound when I left for Bangalore. Apparently, she waited by the corner of the street for three hours and refused to eat her food that night. 

I was reminded of an incident from last year when she displayed such profound sadness as our family prepared to leave for abroad. Her tears spoke volumes about her deep emotional connection, even though she can't express it as we do.

It struck me that despite her inability to articulate her feelings, her unwavering loyalty and love surpass many human relationships. In her own way, she embodies a purity of affection that’s both comforting and inspiring.

During my visit to an ashram sometime ago, I had the chance to meet a cow brought from Gujarat, who touched my heart with her genuine display of emotion. On my second visit, she began to cry as soon as she saw me. It was a profound moment of true emotion, evident from the tears streaming down her face, as shown in the photograph to the right.

We felt helpless in the face of her sadness but tried to offer comfort by feeding her some green grass, her preferred food over dried straw. Her response was a poignant reminder of the deep, often unspoken, connections that can exist between beings.

Lessons Learnt:

I've come to realize that love is still very much alive in our world. Perhaps the key is to shift my focus away from searching for it in human beings who have been shaped and sometimes dulled by societal constructs. Instead, I find that looking to the animals around us—who remain as natural and emotionally authentic as previous generations offers a clearer reflection of true love and emotion. These animals, untouched by the complexities of modern social systems such as education and family, remind us of the pure, unspoiled nature of genuine affection.