Witnessing suffering without accepting responsibility is easy. We see the abandoned animal, the hungry family, the isolated neighbor, the struggling community, and tell ourselves that it is not our job to fix it, that the problem is too vast, that our contribution will be too small, or that someone else who has more resources will take care of it. That is how suffering is perpetuated and becomes normal.
People convince themselves that caring does not require action and apathy is acceptable because they do not believe they can make a difference. Taking action, however, has many forms, and they all make a difference. Seeing and acknowledging a suffering being is already a form of giving, because that awareness removes anonymity by refusing to look away, turn away, or walk away.
Speaking up is another form of giving, especially for a being that is voiceless, powerless, and choiceless. Beyond this, there are also more tangible means of giving, such as volunteering or donating. Donating is not reserved for people with fortunes to spare, and its meaning is not determined by the number on a check.
It begins with that decision to see, along with the intention to help. Those are actions, and action is the antidote to apathy and the path to change.I learned that through horses, but the lesson reaches far beyond a barn. Recently, my nonprofit was made aware of four elderly broodmares, mothers whose critical job is to create the next generation.
Together, they produced 38 foals for the racing industry. Once their tired bodies could no longer produce babies, they were abandoned, exhausted, starved, and terrified. One was blind in one eye.
Another was still lactating after her last baby had been taken from her. I had enough funds for one mare. I could have saved one and called it a success.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
