There are moments in nature that remind us how precious life truly is—moments that seem small but carry the weight of the universe. This morning, deep inside the ancient forest that surrounds the sacred stones of Angkor Wat, something incredibly beautiful happened.
A young mother monkey named SABE gently cradled her newborn baby for the very first time. The sun had barely risen when she carefully cleaned the tiny face of her child, holding it close against her chest as if the world around them didn’t exist. It was quiet… peaceful… almost holy.
I stood a few feet away, watching, unable to move—not because I didn’t want to disturb them, but because I felt something powerful inside me. It was pure love, unfolding right before my eyes.
Her baby, still weak but full of life, reached out with tiny fingers, holding onto SABE’s fur. And in that moment, everything felt right. In that ancient forest—where history sleeps and time moves slowly—a new life had just begun.
I noticed other monkeys quietly gathering nearby. They didn’t make loud sounds or jump around like they usually do. Instead, they formed a soft circle, giving space and respect to this new mother. It was as if even the forest understood that today was special.
A few minutes later, SABE lifted her head and looked around, almost as if she was asking the world, “Is my baby safe?” That’s when I felt it—the same instinct every mother has. The need to protect. The need to love. The need to never let go.
Watching her reminded me of the strength inside all mothers—human or animal. She was tired… her eyes showed exhaustion… but her love was stronger than any weakness. She held her baby close, shielding it gently as the warm sunrise touched their faces.
In that moment, it felt like the world paused just to say:
“Welcome to life, little one. You are loved already.”
I imagined how this newborn would grow up—learning to climb the ancient trees, play among the ruins, and maybe someday become a parent too. Nature carries these stories forward, generation after generation. And today, I had the honor to see one beginning.
Sometimes, we get lost in our lives. We worry about the future, stress about our past, and forget to appreciate the present. But SABE reminded me of something powerful:
Life isn’t about how much time we have… it’s about how much love we give.
As I watched SABE holding her baby, I felt grateful—not just to witness this moment, but to feel something real again. A reminder that life still has miracles. That love still exists in its purest form. That hope is never gone.
And today… hope was born in the Angkor Wat forest.
