PBP: Week 5: C - Compassion

Tying into the post for last week's theme, I'd like to talk about compassion. Compassion means to 'suffer with' another. It has come to be understood as kind acts towards other people (and beings). If you have seen some of my other posts, you will recognize that I feel that kindness is one of the most powerful forces in the universe.

Kindness is not limited to human. Studies have been done and observations have been made that animals exhibit kindness/compassion. At times going outside of their own species.

• Moko the dolphin saves two pygmy whales
• Dolphins work together to prevent an injured companion from drowning.
• Rats feel empathy and will act to aid companion rats

There are countless cases of dogs and cats adopting other dogs or cats young when rejected by their parent. There are also recorded cases of them adopting outside of their species. This is part of what is behind the concept of a 'feral child.'

 If we can have compassion seen in the 'lower' animals of the world, then humanity must get over their egoism and extend it to all the world. It doesn't require some sort of grand gesture. It can be as simple as lending a bit of time and willingness to hear another person's story. It can be picking up refuse that is left along the roadside. It can be pulling weeds from a flowerbed or making a feral cat shelter from spare materials.

I sincerely believe that each act of kindness is blessed.