Motherhood Is Universal

Filmed on 18th march 2006 in "Ouwehand Zoo" in the Netherlands.

She knows she's supposed to teach this child to swim, but she just can't resist one more hug. And who would have guessed that the Dutch for Aaahhhh was aaahhhh?

When I look at this, I find myself thinking about how much we have in common with all peoples and all life. We absolutely understand this polar bear mother and her behavior. We are moved by it. The Dutch are moved by it. Not only do we respond the same way to our babies as the bear does, we respond to our response to her in the same way the Dutch do. We know why she hugs her baby, we remember hugging babies ourselves, we remember being hugged by our parents ourselves. And all of it touches us in the deepest corners of our hearts.

When we are all so very much alike, how do we hate? How do we kill? Of course we defend our young, they are so precious to us that we must. But how do we not see that the young are always precious to their parents? How do we wage war? How is it possible that our mutual love of our children, as well as the unlimited other ways that we are alike, is not enough to bridge the chasm between us?

I don't know the answer to these questions, and I wish I did. I do know that we must figure it out, because it is probable that the only road to safety for our children is the safety for all children.