When I was a little girl I had great compassion for anything living. I used to feel for flies who would drop in the water and would struggle to get out. I used to try to get them out on a leaf and leave them in a sunny place to dry. They would dry in a few minutes, rub their legs and fly off. I used to feel very good about saving the lives of these unfortunate flies.
That was then. Back when I didn't worry about what diseases they might be carrying. Things have since changed.
We have developed a fruit fly infestation in my kitchen. I have a little container under the sink where I store all the stuff that goes in the compost bin - vegetable peels, egg shells and stuff like that. Last week, a horde of fruit flies appeared from somewhere. I have had this container for more than a year now without a problem. So now I take it out to the bin in the backyard everyday instead of waiting for it to get full.
Anyways, last night I was walking around in my kitchen with a fly swatter trying to get the last of them. My younger daughter watched me for a while and then asked - "Momma, why must you kill these flies. Couldn't you gently guide them outside?". Wow!!! She really believes that these flies have as much right to live as we do? And I was amazed at her choice of words "gently guide them outside" - I was so happy that she feels this way. I knew she had great compassion for all kinds of animals (she wanted me to send money to save the polar bears instead of buying her presents last Christmas).
I told her that I tried but they are not listening so I have to get rid of them because they might be carrying diseases. She shook her head thoughtfully.
This small incident gave me an insight into how my daughter feels about living things. It reaffirmed my belief that if we instill respect for other living things in our next generation, it would manifest in so many positive ways. Maybe the next generation would refuse to eat any meat that wasn't humanely raised? Maybe we will see the end of factory chicken and pig farms?
I think that is the best inheritance I can leave for my kids - a love for nature, a respect for mother earth, and a compassion for all living things.
(mother earth image borrowed from here)
Comments
Have a lovely weekend!
I love the illustration that you used with this post.
I've never had children, but I related to everything you wrote except:
"Maybe the next generation would refuse to eat any meat that wasn't humanely raised?"
I was puzzled by this because there is no physical necessity for anyone to eat meat, and this raises, in my mind, the question of whether we are ethically justified in eating what is basically a luxury food. Too, there are the practical considerations about the vast acreages that are needed to grow the animals themselves as well as their food, acreages that would increase many times over if we went from factory farming to humane methods.
Flies are another matter, because as you pointed out, they are a threat to our health. Maybe you know of Obama's fly-swatting episode and PETA's criticism of it.
Sylvia - thanks
Snowbrush - I agree that there is no necessity to eat meat - I am mostly a vegetarian and don't need any kind of meat to survive. But to your point regarding
there are the practical considerations about the vast acreages that are needed to grow the animals themselves as well as their food, acreages that would increase many times over if we went from factory farming to humane methods.
we would have to treat meat as luxury - it would be lot more expensive because there will be a lot less of it. And people would eat it once in a while as celebratory food ? That's how it was when I grew up in India.
Oh - and I missed Obama's fly swatting episode - I will look it up :)
xxsm
Good for your daughter though!
Love the mother earth image!
we had fruit flies too, have no idea where they came from but we did find a gap in the kitchen screen and it is better now
your daughter is wonderful, but that doesn't surprise me
Take a bow little-big girl, the world is only a better place because of you
This post really made me think.
Your daughter is indeed compassionate--a great quality to have.
Cheers
preeti