“We ought to do good to others as simply as a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season without thinking of the grapes it has borne.” Marcus Aurelius Right now, in pride of place on my refrigerator, I’ve stuck a printout from a site called Lily’s Legacy, on which I’ve scrawled, in large red letters, “We are doing this!” Lily’s is a California sanctuary for older dogs who find themselves alone in the world. And while founder Alice Mayn is busy trying to get them adopted, neighborhood volunteers in the “Cuddle Club” spend time on her comfy couches, petting these sweet old animals and letting them know they are still loved. When Rich and I return to California next month for a long visit, one of the first things we’re doing is signing up for that job. In theory, of course, it’s for the dogs’ benefit. But frankly, I think we’ll be the ones getting the better deal here. For a start, it’s a chance to deploy our siesta skills, honed during fifteen years of living in Seville. Rich is particularly gifted at dropping off to sleep anywhere, and I foresee he’ll be doing some deep, cozy snoozing with the beasts. And then there are all those tremendous health benefits that come from hanging out with dogs, including boosting our immune system, strengthening our hearts, lowering our cholesterol, making us more allergy resistant, and reducing the modern world’s pervasive sense of isolation and depression. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lily’s Legacy added many dog years to our lives. One of the great things about community service is that it comes in all shapes and sizes: soup kitchens, hospice, or just cherishing an abandoned animal. And the benefits tend to flow freely in both directions. These days, I get the impression some think that working for the common good is an old-fashioned virtue, if not an outright sign of weakness, but I am convinced it makes us stronger, as individuals and a community. Studies have shown that just witnessing acts of kindness and compassion gives us a high known as “moral elevation” that boosts our optimism and inspires us to more altruistic behavior. If we start an upward spiral of altruism, there’s no telling what might happen. More good news: you don’t need to be a saint to indulge in altruistic behavior. In fact, you don’t even need to be human. (Although if you are reading this right now, I suspect you probably are.) Take the story of Odin, a Great Pyrenees dog that refused emergency evacuation during California’s devastating Tubbs Fire of 2017. “Despite the sounds of exploding propane tanks, twisting metal, and the hot swirling winds, Odin refused to leave our family of eight bottle-fed rescue goats,” said his owner Roland Hendel. “He was determined to stay with the goats and I had to let him do it.” He added, “I was sure I had sentenced them to a horrific and agonizing death.” Incredibly, all the animals all survived. Oden emerged with a singed coat, melted whiskers, and a limp, but he’d stood fast, protecting the goats and a few terrified baby deer who joined the little flock. Hailed as a hero by his family, Odin will, I suspect, be fed steak dinners for the rest of his life. There have been countless human heroes in the Californian wildfires, too, including nurse Allyn Pierce, who in 2018 drove straight through the Camp Fire inferno to rescue patients in the intensive care unit he manages. Eventually, after two trips through the flames, he and other first responders got everyone to safety. “I just kept thinking, ‘I’m going to die in melting plastic,’” Pierce recalls. He posted this photo of his truck, toasted to a color he now refers to as “Custom Campfire Marshmallow.” I don’t think any of us knows what we’re capable of in a truly desperate situation, and sometimes an entire nation can astonish you. I particularly love the story of young King Zog, the first and only monarch of Albania, who came to the throne in the turbulent run-up to World War II. As leader of a small, beleaguered nation with a population that was three-quarters Muslim, King Zog had plenty on his plate already. But he quietly let it be known that the entire population of Albania stood ready to help European Jews who were fleeing for their lives. Why? Because the Albanians have an ancient code of honor that forms the backbone of the national character, and one of its key concepts is besa, offering shelter to those in need. For the Albanians, it would have been unthinkable to do anything except welcome and protect their desperate neighbors. “Jews, who had escaped from other countries and who had literally been branded on the forehead with a J, were astonished to learn that the local population was jostling amongst themselves for the honour of sheltering them, for the honour of saving their lives,” wrote the publication Diplomat. “Neighbours even shared the privilege, based on their ability to contribute to the welfare of their ‘guest.’ In one case, a rich neighbour fed the people in their care, while a poor neighbour gave them a bed to sleep in each night. No threats of punishment or death could cause these people to waver in their commitment.” Albania was the only country in Europe whose Jewish population grew tenfold during World War II. This chapter of Albanian history remained largely unknown until an American photographer named Norman H. Gershman stumbled on the story and began photographing those who had hidden Jewish families — in some cases housing them in the attic while German soldiers were billeted downstairs. “How many people,” asks the film, “would lay down their lives for a stranger?” Most of us (thank God) will never be called on to make that kind of sacrifice. But there are plenty of smaller ways to show our decency and compassion. Often they’re nothing noble, or even particularly dignified — bringing a meal to a sick friend, buying the person in line behind you a cup of coffee, sprawling on a couch with a drooling Labrador and trying not to wonder if it has fleas. Sometimes it’s a simple as a thoughtful message on social media. Five minutes ago, as I was putting the finishing touches on this article, I learned that yesterday, February 17, was Random Acts of Kindness Day. For a moment, I felt a pang of regret that I’d missed it. Then I realized I was looking at it all wrong. I now have 364 days to pay it forward in preparation for the next one. YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY
12 Comments
Jo
2/18/2020 06:44:31 pm
You continue to amaze me with the stories and information you dig up! Loved reading this and will look for the Lily's Legacy equivalent near me... if there is one.
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Karen McCann
2/19/2020 08:14:41 am
Jo, I hope you do find something along these lines in your neighborhood. I'd read about this sort of thing but didn't realize one was right in my backyard when I'm in CA. Having my own dog is no longer practical for me, with all the travel I do, but I've been missing canine company. It's wonderful to know that I can befriend a whole pack of them. Let me know what you discover out there!
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Faye
2/19/2020 05:10:59 am
Love this post! A “cuddle club” is a great idea as is taking them to visit elderly in senior care homes. And ,yes, both dogs and people benefit! We have all heard “we only keep what we give away”!
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Karen McCann
2/19/2020 08:18:46 am
Glad you liked the post, Faye! Senior centers are a great idea. Also, when we lived in Ohio we took our dog, Eskimo Pie, to the teen unit in the local short-stay mental health center. There were always about a dozen depressed kids sitting around staring at the wall, and Pie would do a few tricks and get them all laughing. Since the tricks involved treats, she was thrilled and the kids thought she was hilarious. A win win.
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ShelleyR
2/19/2020 07:04:52 pm
Such a great article Karen, as yours always are, but I love this angle of looking at the world. You should put together a book with these and other stories! I hope you share more like these with us. :)
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Karen McCann
2/19/2020 07:08:43 pm
Thanks, Shelley. I'm so glad you connected with the stories. A lot of them are going into my new book, which I'm in the midst of writing now. And I've got lots more for the blog as well. Stay tuned!
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Karen McCann
2/25/2020 08:12:17 am
I so agree, Steph. We read so much about the negative side of human nature, but I do think Anne Frank got it right when she said, "I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart."
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Karen McCann
2/25/2020 08:12:52 am
So glad you liked this one, Jackie! It was truly written from the heart.
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Diana
4/13/2020 01:09:27 am
I got to this article a little late, and it is incredible to think how much is changed in so little time. But the message is even more timely and somewhat poignant. We need to be those people (and animals) more than ever.
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Karen McCann
4/13/2020 07:51:24 am
Reading this post again, two months after writing it, I feel as if it is a relic from another lifetime. You are so very right, Diana, we all need to to be heroes now. Some of us are on the front lines, but for most of us, it's not the drama of a rescue operation, but the mundane necessity of quarantine and social distancing, of sacrificing our lifestyle to save lives. Rising to meet challenges we never expected and sustaining the effort for an indefinite period of time — that's true heroism.
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I'm an American travel writer based in Spain and currently living in California. As we journey through the pandemic together, my blog provides a regular supply of survival tips, comfort food recipes, and the wry humor we all need to lighten our hearts on dark days. I think of my blog as an ongoing conversation, so please join in and leave comments at the end of my posts. Sign up below to get updates when I publish anything new. BLOG ARCHIVES
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