Last updated on July 20, 2026
I get lost in emails every day. So much new information every day. Much is business-related, but 70% isn’t. Some emails are archived under “useful”, others under “might be useful,” and a handful of emails get a very special treatment, because they are important—to me. These are the ones I share.
Different subjects, sometimes it’s about people, often about animals. They all touched my heart in one way or another.
I got an email in 2014, twelve years ago, and until five minutes ago, I had forgotten all about it.
By accident, today I found it again in an old blog post. One of the treasures in my archive nobody will ever look for. AI wasn’t around back then. This is reality. These pictures circulated and found their way into many of our inboxes.
Animals have feelings too.
All creatures feel in their own way; feelings evidently are not exclusive to humans.
Below … a barn swallow’s female mate is injured, and the condition is soon fatal.
She was hit by a car as she swooped low across the road.
The mate brings her food and attends to her with love and compassion.
When he returned with more food, he was shocked to find her dead.
He tried to move her… a rarely-seen effort for swallows!
Aware that his sweetheart is dead and will never come back to him again,
He cries with adoring love
He stood beside her, wailing at her death.
Finally aware that she would never return to him, he
stood beside her body with sadness and sorrow.
Supposedly, millions of people—all over the world—cried after looking at these pictures in
It is said that the photographer sold these pictures for a nominal fee to the
most famous newspaper in France.
All copies of that
newspaper were sold out on the day these pictures were published.
Live simply. Love generously, care deeply, and speak kindly.
“And what is as important as knowledge?” asks the mind.
“Caring and seeing with the heart”, answers the soul.
Photos from AbuNawaf.com
Thank you for putting this up.
Gwen.
My pleasure, Gwen.
Thank you. Absolutely beautiful . . . do hope birds also have a mourning period to which there is an end . . .
Heartbreaking.
We underestimate animals and their feelings.
😢. Life is hard.
A heartbreaking find from the past… I can still hear the bird’s wail echoing into 2026.
This brought tears to my eyes. All life is precious.
All life is precious. You are right, we just often forget.
Animals have feelings too 😢. Lovely. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Selma. I hope the photographer got an award.
So very beautiful. Sad, but also uplifting.
You made a point there. I didn’t look at it as uplifting, but you are right.
It’s very touching. Sometimes we tend to forget animals have feelings too. Thank you for the beautiful post.
So, sad. They are living creatures and quite capable of feeling. It is just easier for us humans to believe they do not so we can justify the horrible things we do to them.
You are so right my Dear. As always…good to hear from you 🙂
Reblogged this on That Ms Know It All.
They most certainly do have feelings. Such heart wrenchingphotos.