Note from Suzanne:  Yesterday Ty and I went with our friends
Joyce and Sharon to an elephant sanctuary. 
In answer to a question about elephants’ personality, one of the
employees stated that elephants don’t feel love, nor do any animals; that such
a belief is the projection of humans. 
This answer hit me with physical force. 
Sanaya addressed the issue in meditation this morning without me even
asking the question …

Do not ever believe
that animals feel no love or that love is merely a human projection onto
animals.  Love is the common essence of
all things.  What is the use of life
without love?  Why procreate without
love?  What is the survival instinct, but
the innate desire to continue in existence, and why continue at all?  To experience Love. 
If you as a human have
not known true spiritual love, this lack of love-awareness you would project
onto other beings.
You cannot hold a puppy
or a kitten without feeling love.  Yes,
this stirs the maternal and paternal instincts in you, but know that the animal
feels pleasure as well.  They have no
words for this vibration, this resonance. 
They merely know it as pleasurable, desirable, and worthy of seeking
out, for it is the true nature of all beings.
No being can survive
without Love, but worry not, for love does not come from the outside.  It is Love that sustains life, itself.  The survival instinct kicks in when physical
life is threatened so that Love may continue to experience physical life, but
Love never dies. 
Look around you today
at the infinite variety of Life and see Love in expression.  Then look in a mirror and do not stop gazing
until you see it there as well.
From Suzanne:   I had the opportunity to sit atop Luke, an amazing Asian elephant with crossed tusks, and feel the love pulsating beneath that
soft, wrinkly skin.  Check out the photo
of this awesome moment on Ty’s blog entry “Prancing with Pachyderms” for February
12th  at www.LifeAsTySeesIt.com.