An act of kindness may or may not be reciprocated with a word of gratitude from the beneficiary, but a display of happiness and gratitude can be undeniable.

Animals may lack the ability to be able to express themselves with words, but they certainly do not lack the ability to feel fear, despair, joy and gratitude.

I believe this to be true after viewing a video a friend posted to her Facebook feed.

Being enamored with oceanic and aquatic life, I couldn’t resist clicking on and viewing a video titled “Humpback Whale Shows Amazing Appreciation After Being Freed.”

It’s a lengthy video, in terms of your typical internet content (a whopping eight minutes), but it’s well worth the time if you are someone who appreciates your heart strings being tickled.

Taking a few minutes to view the kindness a team of humans shows to a nearly dead humpback whale will reveal the hope and humanity that resides in kind hearts. After a significant amount of time and effort, the whale is successfully released from the fishing nets he is ensnared in, and the expression of gratitude and appreciation for his freedom is truly a remarkable sight that is caught on film!

Acts of kindness do not always go unrewarded, and what an animal is unable to communicate in words can sometimes be clearly portrayed by his actions.

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Ed: Catherine Monkman