Elephants Never Forget... or Do They?

I just read the blog of a friend whose grandpa recently passed away. Her blog touched me as she shared some of her favorite memories of her grandpa. She also mentioned a Christmas ornament her mom had given her that says, "the best gift we can give to our children are memories".

What does this have to do with elephants? Well, the other day I was talking with a friend of mine, Jane, who works at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. She has worked as a keeper to all kinds of wild animals. This woman loves animals and has so many interesting stories to share!

During the course of our conversation, she said something that I have never thought of before. She made the statement that although so many animals share human characteristics, the biggest difference between animals and people is that animals have no concept of their past... no concept of their ancestors, heritage, and traditions. They have no memories to pass on to their offspring.

Jane explained that with some animal groups (like elephants and gorillas), when one of the group dies the animals will mourn for a little while. But as babies are born into the group or herd, the animals that passed on before them are lost to future generations.

As I think about this, I realize what a gift it is for us to be able to have and share our memories of loved ones with others. What a gift to pass on these memories to our children. How blessed we are to have a sense of family and traditions!

The ability to know about, share, and appreciate those who have lived before us is unique to the human experience. This brings me back to my friend who has lost her grandpa. She will be able to share her memories with her own children. They will never forget him. She and her family will be able to relive some of their memories of their grandpa when they are together. In this way, their dearly loved grandpa will continue to be an important part of the family.

Thank you, God, for giving us a past... stories to share with others... experiences to remember fondly... traditions passed down through the years. Without these things, we would always and only be aware of the present... those who exist at the same time we do... clueless of those great people who came before us.