Been giving some thought to the idea of friendships lately. How they form. What it is that draws two together in friendship. Got friendship on the brain I guess.
Twice today I have run across videos of unusual animal friendships. Bonds formed against all odds. I thought I’d share them–and a couple others–with you.
Cheers to friendships. May yours stand the test of time and the downs as well as the ups.
Enjoy!
First up are Suryia the Orangutan and his best friend Roscoe the dog.
Next we have Tarra the elephant and her best friend Bella the dog. They have a friendship built on total trust and respect that is a joy to watch. Dare you to try to not tear up just a bit watching these two together.
Then there of course is Gabriel the dog and Stanley the cat who after a hard day of playing cuddle up together.
And perhaps the most unusual of all Moses the Crow who adopted Cassie the cat as his own.
I had a most interesting discussion about what friendship is and is not this past year with someone I considered a dear and trusted friend. We were as different as night & day and yet we thoroughly enjoyed the stretching of each others’ mindsets that our opposing views brought to the relationship. I loved this person for all they sowed into my life: wisdom, humor, insight, and kindness. Unfortunately, I hurt them and they were unable to see me as the person they once loved and chose to end our dialogues. I was crushed! Friendship implied commitment to me, despite disappointment and disenchantment. Real friendship is deeper than mere acquaintance and should acknowledge people hurt each other. There is no ideal friendship. Just as there are no perfect people. I think you have realized an important truth, Alice. Friendship is composed of downs as well as ups, of forgiveness as well as trust, and, ultimately, of choosing to accept that friendship, like love, is imperfect but worth the effort. Friendship is a choice. Just like there aren’t “soulmates” but soul choices, friends choose to love even at the risk of being hurt sometimes. The people who love us when we are at our absolute most wretched and worst are truly our friends. Friendship doesn’t keep score or count the cost or most of us would be friendless. I can “befriend” a million strangers but true friendship survives really knowing someone, in all their beautiful, flawed humanity. Sorry, but you can tell my heart still aches for my lost friend. 🙂
Oh my goodness, the Bella and Tarra story is so heartmending!
I have to say, though, the skeptic in me would like to have heard just a word or two of explanation about the “spinal chord injury.” I’m not implying anything. It’s just, I won’t say suspicious, but! They could have said “oh, hit by a car,” or “fell off the bluff,” or “a falling tree branch!” I’d just have liked to have that cleared up a little.
I’m not implying anything. I’m not saying Tarra was involved.
And the musician in me would like to apologize for the spelling of “spinal cord”…
Sorry, but these got me to thinkin’ about unlikely friendships & the nature of community.
As a teen, my best friends were my tall, black Saddlebred and my cat. They, in turn, became best friends. My favorite memory of the two of them is of the cat sitting ON the horse. She would climb up my jeans to sit on my shoulder as a kitten and I guess she thought Smoke wouldn’t mind either! I always wondered did she use the fence as a “mounting block” requiring his cooperation, or did she climb his tail (YEOW!), or just claw up his legs like she did mine? Whatever she did, I’m sure he felt the sting of her claws at some point, but he forgave her the trespass for the pleasure of her warm, little, kitty body curled trustingly on his very high back. Thank you for reminding me of that beautiful friendship.
I also thought of some friends I know who raise and haul “exotics”. Although all animals are capable of hurting humans inadverdantly or not, I was shocked when he warned us in particularly about the larger primates. They are fiercely intelligent and will not hesitate to lure an unsuspecting victim close us enough to allow them to injure them. Who wants their arm pulled off by a cute, funny monkey? I like his stories of animals nurturing and befriending each other much more.
And, finally, I thought Joe made an interesting point about Bella & Tarra. If Tarra was somehow involved in Bella’s injury, which is not unimaginable, what allowed Bella to forgive & forget when we as humans wear our offenses and injuries like badges of honor in order to defend our unwillingness to forgive? More to the point, what causes antisocial behavior and what is the nature of “unconditional” love?
Like I said, just thinking…
Well, HOLY COW! Do not write, deal with employees, & attempt payroll simultaneously. Forgive the bad grammar. I only see my typos after they’re published. DRAT! 🙂
Ha ha ha…Jamie. I am queen of typos and flat out errors. I can’t tell you how many times I have hit enter on a comment followed by a “oh X#@&!”. So no worries. They add flavor.
Same goes to you Joe on the cord / chord thing. I like that one. It’s a good typo…the fun kind 🙂
I am so glad this little throw away post produced some thoughts and conversation! Jamie I too have apparently lost a friend over a mistake I made. It has been on my mind a lot lately. Wondering how tenuous that friendship was without me ever realizing it. It makes me very sad.
I love your story about your cat and horse. What a sweet wonderful memory! I am always amazed by the gentleness and compassion animals can display. My huge heavy and overexuberant boxer turned into the most gentle and sweet boy when he was presented with a puppy.
Joe your suspicions about the spinal cord injury cracked me up. I dare say the skeptic in you is spot on. But I also love Jamie’s spin on the situation. Tara must have been heartbroken over hurting her friend and Bella was more than willing to forgive and forget.
Awww, man, I’m going to have to post on this…my brain is in overdrive!
Truth: when I worked in the school system, the biggest problem I had wasn’t misbehavior, it was too much physical contact…all the kids just wanted to be touched, hugged, etc. It broke my heart.
Although I loved teaching academically gifted students, the greatest reward for me was in connecting with “problem” kids. To love, accept, and value someone just BECAUSE, especially when they have been indoctrinated into the belief that they are worthless, is a gift we’re given in life.
If I live by the rule that says “I can only give what I can afford or love when it is painless” then I have loved myself more than others. To love a child, or anyone, and see the look of surprise in their eyes when you give FREELY without regard for yourself, isn’t that really what is of value? I have walked through a school in a lockdown situation beside a young boy who was at the center of the “problem”. Deputies lined the halls and waited outside as I escorted him out. I had been told to expect an attack on him or instigated by him. So, what do you do??? I told him, “You’re not going to fight today.” He laughed and said, “How do you know that?” “Because anyone coming for you will have to come through me,” I answered. (And prayed I wouldn’t wet my pants if that happened!!) That beautiful boys eyes got big and he almost angrily said, “WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?” “Because today you’re going to know at least one person cares,” I said. And we walked out and I put him on that bus and never saw him again.
I’m going to choose to love, get hurt, and keep on loving. Regardless.
I hope your friend can choose to forgive and forget and, more importantly, learn to extend the grace we all need extended to us at times. I understand your hearbreak, Alice. I miss my friend everyday. He made my heart smile.
Look at me, the hero of my own story!! Call me Walter Mitty. LOL
OK, I’m also the teacher who was called to the principal’s office for telling my class they were acting like a bunch of smart asses. NO! That won’t work; I was the hero that day, too. All the teacher’s were patting me on the back & high- fiving me. 🙂
Just trust me…I’m a very bad person. How’s THAT?!?
Bad people make me laugh and I love to laugh entirely TOO MUCH! It’s my major character defect. Eh.
Dear God, another typo. I’m going to start drinking at work. THAT will at least be a legitimate excuse. (It’s really because I answer to THREE men. SHEESH. Some days they just need killing.)
And they actually let me handle the books; can you believe it? FOOLS!! MWAHAHAHA!!!
Jamie you are keeping ME laughing today. I am cracking up. So keep posting and keep making typos. And we ought to be heroes in our own stories more often so I approve! And I am a bad person also.
I’m actually CRAZY BUSY and this is how I deal. Me & math…it boggles the mind. God is a sadist, I tell you.
Thank you for being gracious, as always.
Thought of driving up to Baltimore this weekend but it didn’t work out. Maybe by the time I can, you & I will be friends and can meet for a beer or three. ( I’m so lying…three beers and you could pour ME!) I ADORE making new friends. MOST ESPECIALLY bad ones.
Oh my math. I have this crazy weird relationship with math. I hate it, it scares the heck out of me, practically phobic. Yet somehow, paradoxically, I am strangely drawn to it. I love running numbers for reports. Making excel spreadsheets with formulas (VERY basic…I am phobic as I said). I love to hate math I suppose. Oh no, maybe I am math masochist.
Yes, you need to let me know if and when you make it up to Baltimore! 🙂
Deal! 🙂
Actually, I do love making those numbers behave. And I’m strangely drawn to thigh high boots…LOL! (OK, I love fem guys. Eyeliner, WHO KNEW?) MATH DOMINATRIX!
Gabriel looks like Stanley’s bitch.
Jorg…ha ha ha….poor Gabriel does look a bit beaten down doesn’t he? But everyone knows it is always the cat that truly rules the house. The rest of us are all here to serve he who is Cat. Once we all understand and accept our roles everyone is happier.