HELLO JI!

THAT LOVE SUBLIME

“A lone goose… I assumed its mate must be near. But no, there it was every day, looking lost and dare I say, a little forlorn.” It is believed geese mate for life.

A pair of Canada geese visited my friend Dorothy’s yard every year, without fail. She said they mate for life. One year, she was going to be away during their visit and came over with a large tin of seeds. “Call them,” she instructed before leaving, “and they will come”.

And so I stood there attempting to sound like Dorothy, inviting them to come for the feast she’d provided. While I found it hard to distinguish one from the other at first, I soon noticed that one would wait to eat, letting the other have its fill before moving in. Was it the male looking out for his mate, or the female, waiting for her turn like in many human societies, I wondered.

Moving to a new home some years later, I noticed pairs of geese herding their young near the ponds we back on to. One adult in front, another bringing up the rear, with their offspring in the middle.

Thus when I saw this lone goose in early spring this year, I assumed its mate must be near. But no, there it was every day, looking lost and dare I say, a little forlorn. Reminding me of the gentleman we used to see on a walking trail we frequent. Sitting on a bench, staring out at the water, cloaked in loneliness.

Don’t anthropomorphize, we are told, don’t project human feelings and emotions on animals. While overestimating their emotional intelligence, it can also result in underestimating their natural traits and capacity.

Makes absolute sense, and creatures are awesome in their own right, we don’t have to humanize them.

But then how does one explain the bonds we form with our pets or even wild animals? Each time my father was away on a work trip, our dog would go off food and sit near the door, waiting for his return. The first time this happened, and went on for a couple of days, my mother pulled out one of my father’s old cardigans and placed it in front of him. He sniffed at it eagerly, and then pulled it into a pile between his paws and sat there with his head on it. He ate that day.

I recently watched My Penguin Friend, an enchanting movie about a fisherman who rescues an injured penguin covered in oil from a spill. He nurses it back to health and sets it free. Only to have it return, year after year, swimming 8000 km to come visit. It is based on a true story. Scientists weighed in. It had most likely imprinted upon the fisherman as his partner, and they pointed out that this was far from an ideal situation. Agreed. Just try telling the penguin that.

We learned Fidelity by William Wordsworth in school. The poem about a little dog that stayed by his master’s side for three months after he fell from a cliff and lost his life always brought me to tears.

He knows, who gave that love sublime;

And gave that strength of feeling great

Above all human estimate.

There are innumerable instances of such bonding. Perhaps we’re anthropomorphizing in each case. Or perhaps we’re realizing the emotional connect that binds us all. 

Shagorika Easwar