Scientists know only what love does. Love, properly applied, could virtually empty our asylums, our prisons, our hospitals. Love is the touchstone of psychiatric treatment. Love can be fostered, extended, used to subjugate hate and thus cure disease. More and more clearly every day, out of biology, anthropology, sociology, history, economics, psychology, the plain common sense, the necessary mandate of survival — that we love our neighbors as ourselves — is being confirmed and reaffirmed. Some would say there is only one commandment — Love…
There is a wonderful fable that tells of a young girl who is walking through a meadow when she sees a butterfly impaled upon a thorn. Very carefully she releases it and the butterfly starts to fly away. Then it comes back and changes into a beautiful good fairy. “For your kindness,” she tells the little girl, ” I will grant you your fondest wish.” The little girl thinks for a moment and replies, “I want to be happy.” The fairy leans toward her and whispers in her ear and then suddenly vanishes.
As the girl grew, no one in the land was more happy than she. Whenever anyone asked her for the secret of her happiness, she would only smile and say, “I listened to a good fairy.”
As she grew quite old, the neighbors were afraid the fabulous secret might die with her. “Tell us, please,”‘ they begged, “Tell us what the fairy said.” The now lovely old lady simply smiled and said, “She told me that everyone, no matter how secure they seemed, had need of me!”
We all need each other.
Reference:
Buscaglia, Leo F. (1984). Loving Each Other. New York: Fawcett Columbine.