It was sad seeing my huge German-Shepherd dog, whimpering in pain. His ear had got infected, so with cotton swab, antiseptic cream and warm water in plastic mug, I slowly and laboriously started cleaning it, holding his head lovingly against me, before putting soothing medication, and adding a few drops of a pain killer! My dog looked up at me, he usually allows me to touch his wounds, and I imagined what he was asking me with those brown pleading eyes, “What are you doing master, what are you thinking off? Just cleaning my ear? Treating my wound, or what?”

I touched his beautiful, handsome head and whispered, “I’m thinking of a healed ear!”

Did I see a smile on my dog’s face as I gently caressed his huge head? Whatever it was, he stopped whimpering and allowed me to minister to him, as I knelt down and gently applied the anesthetic balm while he continued to rest his head happily on my shoulder.

As I looked up from him this morning I pondered on the imaginary conversation I’d just had. I thought of doctors or surgeons looking down in the operating theatre at their patients. What did they see themselves doing? Were they thinking of themselves, cutting, slicing and surgically removing some infected part inside? Were they so fixed on the task, they’d forgotten why they were fixing?

Or the patient; did he or she as she was wheeled in, think fearfully of the surgery or happily of being fit and whole again?

What do you think of your morning workout? As a tiresome exertion, or do you see a physically fit future you, in the mirror?

And as I pondered on such, and put my crude implements, I’d used for my dog, away, I thought of our political leaders, as they started doing destructive and drastic things; did they see a nation in turmoil or a people happily living with each other in peace? Do our leaders see farmers back in their fields tilling the earth to provide food for everyone or do they only see their own bruised egos if they concede a concession?

Do they see married couples living happily together or do they only see fear driving love from entering the lives of youngsters?

My dog, walked away from me, and in his eyes, I saw gratefulness for what I’d done. He knew he was on the mend. Are we also sure of such as we look at all we and our leaders do? It’s time you and I raised our eyes and help raise theirs too, from systematic surgical slicing, segmenting and separating, to simple, soothing suturing..!

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