A few weeks ago, I wrote about my nephew showing me that shared joy is double joy. Then, last week I was listening to a news story on the radio about a mother Orca whale whose baby calf had died a few hours after birth. This was the first calf born to this group in 3 years. Since the calf’s death, the mother whale has been carrying her deceased baby calf – for 17 days now. This is taking a great toll on her. The other whales surround her on this journey and step in as needed. The grief is palatable.
During the story, I heard a statement that was something like: Grief isn’t owned by humans. – Oh how true. We’ve seen how dogs and cats behavior changes when they lose a loved one – two legged or four legged. It still hurts.
I thought of one of our board members, Coleman, and his line of t-shirt’s, including the one that says:
It feels better when we heal together, then when we hurt alone. – Coleman G. Howard
What a beautiful and true sentiment.
This concept of sharing our emotions to heal, grow and thrive is not new and is obviously not unique to humans.
So, as the calf’s mother, Tahlequah, continues her journey, we wish her strength. We recognize the love that transcends species and we hope for a brighter future.
The world is literally watching. Let us honor this journey and make decisions that will lead to healthier calves, their Orca families and our Mother Earth.
Leanne Rubenstein
Compassion Cultivator
Compassionate Atlanta
