When love is not enough

When love is not enough

There is something inadequate about this tiny word. It’s like it’s missing half of itself sometimes: in certain circumstances and when it’s thrown into an argument by certain people. It’s like it holds itself back from those of us unworthy of its full realisation or maybe we sometimes rewrite its meaning for our own benefit. But one thing for certain,there is nothing certain about love in the rescue world.
Today someone told me they loved their animals. I thought to myself that he must have been devoid of my idea of love if he thought he loved his emaciated animals. Love alone can not feed or do the job of a vet. Then there are those who love money so much that they will deny their money making animals any sense of being looked after. Then when you love animals completely as equals to us you are ridiculed by many people even more than those who stand before our courts for cruelty to animals. Yes, some people actually sneer at the heart of a rescuer, a heart that drives rescuers on to save, to rehabilitate, and to rehome animals broken by humans. It is love at its best: when you love unconditionally and when you are no longer at the centre. It is selfless and it is pure and it’s what the world needs now.
Last week I was character assasinated for looking for a lost rescue. And yes I wish I was exaggerating. It nearly broke me. My mind and its makeup can’t comprehend meanness or intentional hurt when no crime was committed. It is the absolute driving hunger to make safe again that had me wet and cold for days going through the same fields again and again. It reminds me of a teenager I counselled
who I gave out to for risking her life to save an animal. Her reply to me was, I wanted to save her because nobody saved me. It was her loveless life that made her love others more than most. But I’m aware it is often very different when people never experience love. How can you show an emotion you never felt?
I know I’m slowing losing many people from my life because maybe I do love animals more. Maybe a lot of us do and I don’t need to list the reasons why that might be the case. I do know this, that one animal in your life can remedy so much emotional pain. One animal in your life can give you purpose and take away loneliness. One animal in our lives is possibly the possible executioner of much human pain. I know many people who would vouch for this. I’ve thrown a lifeline to a young man at risk of ending his life. The lifeline was a bouncy Labrador. He is alive and a father today. This beautiful golden boy loved my client until he started to love himself again.
Yes, I’m guilty of loving animals more than some humans but that is one crime that does not deserve any punishment. The punishment belongs to those who purposely harm or kill animals. If only the misdirected and misleading rescue ridicule was rerouted to animal abusers. They might just fear public wrath so much that it could become a deterrent to abuse
This Valentine’s please direct some of your love to rescues. You might not get a card or flowers back but you’ll get a lot more than Hallmark could say.
Love might never be enough for us until we sort out the issues that keep denting it and changing it; even keeping it from our door but for animals,their only currency is simply love. They let nothing get in the way of showing it. We need to learn from their way of being which is simply being as they are. And that should be enough.

This Valentine’s I hope you know the love of good humans or animals or even both. x