Take nothing…
Despite being taken by an eagle and dropped from some height, which caused a brain injury that has left her blind, nothing was able to take away little Miss Taken’s will to live or her ability to touch the lives of all who meet her.
In fact, it is from Miss Taken’s take on life that we daily take our inspiration. For despite this most unfortunate hand life has dealt her, she simply gets on with the business of living joyously each day.
And in doing so she reminds us to do likewise.
Miss Taken is special in so many glorious ways. Not the least is the way her fuzzy lips intently explore our face as if she was reading ovine Braille. We trust we provide her with a good story.
And just as she marks our lives, we help mark hers. A radio keyed to ABC talk daily blares out just shy of her water source to indicate its location. This is but one of the many ways we do this.
Watching Miss Taken navigate her world as she does, with courage and curiosity, is deeply moving -moving us so much to consider just how much our kind has been less than kind in what we have taken from the lives of animals.
We have taken them from natural habitats and put them on show or kept them as pets. We have taken away their babies, family, or friends, without a second thought, despite their often-pleading protests. We have taken away their “naturalness” in preference of human selected traits such as rapid growth, coat colour, and more. And we have taken away their ability and means to be themselves, in preference of satisfying our wants.
Yet, despite it all, we have never been able to take away their will to live, nor their capacity to forgive. The latter often reduces us to humble tears.
It’s a take on life that is more than pause for thought for humanity to adopt a kinder, gentler, and wiser view of our relationship with the animal kingdom. So what better time to consider this sage advice than now:
“Take nothing but memories.
Leave nothing but footprints.
Kill nothing but time.”
On this, we are sure Miss Taken will most certainly agree.