There’s a kind of an old story that goes: somebody loves somebody, and then somebody dies. Everyone’s heard this story. It’s a sad thing to think about. Worse for some than others, and maybe there’s more than sadness. Maybe it’s angry sad, or happy sad, or crazy sad, or peaceful sad. But, sad.
Let’s say the elephant Paul loves the elephant Ruth and vice versa. Paul and Ruth don’t know each other yet. Maybe Paul or Ruth aren’t born yet, or maybe Paul and Ruth are on opposite sides of the grassland. Paul loves Ruth and Ruth loves Paul is what I’m saying. They learn about loving in different ways and maybe it makes sense or it doesn’t, but they do, somehow. Love between Paul and Ruth is one of a kind of love just like every elephant who loves another elephant has it the one way. The point is they are born and live and eventually love each other until one of them dies. One of them is there to guard the other. It never matters how, in the end. Let’s say it was Paul. Ruth’s left with Paul in her mind because she loves him and his death came before hers. Her life is a burden because her love is going and going.