Those who wish to pet and baby wild animals 'love' them. But

The words of Edwin Way Teale—“Those who wish to pet and baby wild animals ‘love’ them. But those who respect their natures and wish to let them live normal lives, love them more.”—resound as a hymn to the true spirit of love. They remind us that affection is not measured by closeness or control, but by the freedom we grant to the beloved. To truly love is not to grasp, but to honor. To truly cherish is not to tame, but to let the wild remain wild, the free remain free. For love that imprisons is but disguised selfishness, but love that respects nature is love in its purest form.

The ancients knew this. They spoke of the eagle, soaring high above mountains, as a symbol of freedom and majesty. To cage such a creature, though it allows one to behold it daily, is to dishonor its essence. Better to see it from afar in its strength, than to claim it near in its weakness. So it is with all of nature. Teale’s words strike at this truth: that to respect the nature of another being, even at the cost of our own desires, is the higher form of love.

History gives us lessons as well. Consider the story of President Theodore Roosevelt, the great naturalist, who hunted for sport in his youth but came to see the deeper value of preserving the wilderness. He helped establish national parks and wildlife refuges, not because he wished to hold animals close, but because he wished them to live normal lives in the forests and plains that shaped them. This was not the shallow “love” of possession, but the higher love of respect, that future generations might see bison roaming free, wolves hunting in packs, and birds wheeling through endless skies.

How often, though, do human beings confuse love with control? A child may wish to keep a butterfly in a jar, thinking it an act of devotion, but soon the butterfly withers, and only then does the child learn the sorrowful truth. The petting and babying of wild things may feel tender, but it robs them of their essence, of the very life we claim to admire. To respect is harder, for it demands restraint; but it is nobler, for it allows life to flourish as it was meant to.

The wisdom of Teale’s words also extends beyond animals into the realm of human relationships. To truly love another person is not to control them, to bind them to our will, or to keep them sheltered from every trial. It is to honor their spirit, to let them grow, to let them be themselves. Parents who cling too tightly to their children in fear of letting them face the world may think they love deeply, but those who grant their children freedom, even knowing it brings risk, love more truly. For love with respect is the seed of dignity, and without respect, love decays into possession.

The lesson is clear: love that imprisons is not love at all. Whether for the eagle in the sky, the wolf in the forest, or the friend by your side, the highest form of love is to honor the other’s nature. This means giving space when space is needed, granting freedom even when the heart longs to cling, and remembering always that true love seeks the good of the beloved, not the satisfaction of the self.

Therefore, let each of us practice this in daily life. If you encounter the creatures of the wild, admire them, but do not claim them. If you walk with others in life, cherish them, but do not bind them. If you love, love with respect. For in such love lies greatness—the greatness of allowing life to flourish as it was intended, free and unbroken. And in this, we honor not only those we love, but also the eternal wisdom of creation itself.