Hey y'all Josie and Joey here! Today was super tender in a way we didn’t see coming. We started our Friday with a 45-minute bus ride to Agia Marina Donkey Sanctuary, a tucked away refuge where donkeys go to retire after years of physical labor. Now, they receive something they couldn’t before: rest, security, and affection. This work is highly empathetic. Just because these animals aren’t deemed “valuable” anymore by traditional standards, they are still treated with respect. The group was highly impressed with the empathy of the owners.
Agia Marina Donkey Rescue began over 25 years ago and started with a sweeping act of compassion. Owners Barbara and Fanis were asked to rescue a donkey from a local farmer who was unable to care for it. They built her a small stable within their olive farm and named her Olive. They quickly realized donkeys are social animals and will get depressed without a buddy. They soon took in Peligrino, another donkey to keep Olive company. Peligrino’s owner was sad to see him go, but ill and unable to provide adequate care. He knew by sending Peligrino to Agia Marina he would be well-cared for. These acts of kindness marked the beginning of their ongoing commitment to rescuing and caring for animals in need.
Over the years, their passion has evolved. Despite limited access to veterinary care on Crete, they educated themselves and relied on Fanis’s experience growing up with donkeys and mules. The sanctuary does not receive government funding, but with help from organizations like CARAT UK and Greek Animal Welfare, they have continued their mission in providing a safe haven for donkeys to grow old and “retire.”
Now you may be wondering why in the world amongst the monasteries, temples, and museums we then went to a donkey sanctuary of all places. Well, that itself was kind of the point, to look at another way that people have found their purpose in the small more niche aspects of life. Specifically looking after a portion of the world that the local population didn’t value. Once the donkeys grow old, or once their owners do, it is seen as too expensive or unnecessary to take care of the donkeys anymore. So, they would usually be left behind because they have no value as determined by most, but not the owners of the sanctuary. By going here, we were trying to focus on the love, care, and value the owners have for these creatures.
At the sanctuary we were met by the aforementioned donkeys, but also chickens, guinea fowl, ducks, sheep, and some bossy geese. The donkeys were walking around grazing, and we were invited to go up and brush them as their winter coat was still shedding. As we walked around, we were surprised to be met with the donkeys coming up to us with a gentle nudge. As we explored, we learned from the owners about various stories of how the donkeys got to the sanctuary: being dropped off, born in the sanctuary, abandoned in a hotel, and even left after being in a movie. We were all taken aback by the work of the owners and the gentleness of the large animals. Many of us found that there was an unspoken mutual trust between us and the donkeys, that they trusted us to be there and be present with them and us them. It was an amazing experience that will definitely stick with many of us once the trip is done.
After we finished with our new donkey friends we then went to the beach of Matala, a beautiful combination of the mountains and ocean. There some of us shopped, swam, explored the city, or enjoyed the crashing waves of the beach. From there we had lunch and then spread out to reflect on the day. We focused by ourselves and in groups on how calling can relate to the small and quiet aspects of life that no one sees, how we define worth, and what it means to find something valuable.
Josie: One moment that stood out to me was when I looked down at a scrape on my forearm, a sanctuary worker immediately pulled me to the side and into the private garden. There, he ripped off several leaves of his aloe plant and encouraged me to rub it on my cut and all over my sunburn. When he noticed David’s curiosity, he didn’t hesitate, he went back and grabbed fresh aloe for him too. It was a small gesture, but it stayed with me. No exaggerated kindness, no expectation of anything in return, just instinctive care. In that moment, I was reminded of rare it is to be seen as a human being, not a customer or tourist. This kind of giving, without and agenda, is what genuine altruism looks like. In so many environments I’ve lived in, kindness is tied to something greater: popularity points, moral high ground, or a mutual exchange. The care I received today was about shared existence and empathy. How magnificent and rare it is to be humans living on Earth at the same time. This was a huge reminder to me that sometimes kindness isn’t about sweeping gestures, but instead, the little things that occur when no one is watching.
Joey: I was taken aback by the gentleness and spirit of the donkeys themselves. I had a donkey by the name of Ariadni come up to me and calmly nudged my leg, wanting me to pet her. I then stood there brushing her for 15-20 minutes and she stood there breathing deeply. There was seemingly an agreement between the two of us; I was here and she was here. No fanfare, no fuss, no previous meeting, we just shared the space together. I never had experienced that sense of calm with an animal that large and it was amazing to see the gentleness she gave to me as I was trying to give the same back. It was an unusual encounter for sure, but one I will hold onto fondly for a long time as a moment of being present.
Thanks for reading, see y'all soon! - Josie and Joey
No comments:
Post a Comment