Some of them grow up just to become our food - no one knows the meaning of this better than I do, being the daughter of a previous butcher. Watching carcasses of lamb, sheep and bull being delivered to the shop, seeing them hanging in my fathers cool-room and being sold on the scale.
With that past, it also brought the opportunity to examine some of these animals close up -I have played with woolly fat cuddly sheep and seen a bull being stunt and slaughtered. Allah-u-akbar, they are such strong animals. When I was about 13, I remember getting cut on my finger from a Baracuda's teeth - sadly he was the catch of the day and my dad bought him for dinner. Little younger than 13, dad brought home live lobsters - my gosh what a morning that was, I still remember it like it was yesterday, they were crawling all over mum's table, feeling the environment with tentacles long as grass. I was so excited! Around the same age, I also got to ride horses - what a pleasure that was, something I miss dearly and wonder if I can still do anymore.
Just last week, Mae took Cookie, a white Cockatoo out of her cage and put her onto my hand. Its amazing how she feels your nervousness - getting her more comfortable on my leg, I was left amazed by her affection. Mae's love for animals is so heart-warming - I can sit all day looking at Mae's beautiful cylindrical aquarium filled with live rock, breath-taking corals and fish. Makes you wonder how great Allah is to create such beautiful things - each coral and fish so unique, in different colours and shapes. Subhan-Allah
My parents always made it a point to take us to zoo's, animal farms, crocodile farms, game drives and the like to familiar ourselves with animals. My love for them grew with each day and growing up under my mothers hand, who homed stray cats, a few dogs, chickens and a rooster, I watched her hand out a heartfelt meal to them, daily - a trait which has grown on me too. Till this day, my mother gets bird seed for all the wild birds that visit her garden. She will always feed them in the morning and then stand in kitchen, sipping her tea and watching them through the window while they come in dozens, chanting and eating their breakfast - she loves watching them, showing me her favourites and sometimes new different onces never seen before.
These days when I get home, I get greeted by two stray cats at my building (one black and another is the common grey ones), stretching themselves out against the lobby door - it makes me think of those days gone past, it also makes me think how innocent these animals are and how dependent some of them are on us, to help them. It makes me sad to see animals neglected and frustrating for me not being able to understand them.
These cats sit at the door, as I enter making Salaam for them, they purr at me (sometimes) leaving me wondering what they want or think. The weather is blazing hot so its almost ten times worse for them being outside all day. I have got them milk and have asked the kind security guard to feed them daily but I am not sure if this suffices. I was thinking of getting them some cat food today - I hope this will make them a little happier.
I really appreciate the beauty of animals - how different they are in features and tact and I thank my parents for instilling this in me. My mum is nurturing her grand-children now into loving animals - an important, not to be neglected quality to be instilled in these kids who carry on our future generations...After all my mum needs someone to help feeding her birds each morning.
Have a beautiful week