Sometimes I find myself wondering why there are so many different kinds of animals in this world. It is easy to understand why we need cows for milk, chickens for eggs, or bees for pollination, but what about creatures that seem to have no obvious use? Crickets sing at night, moths flutter around lights, frogs croak near ponds, snakes slither in the grass, and worms quietly move through the soil. They all exist with some role in nature, whether small or large, yet it is not always clear to us why they are here. Some of them even make us uncomfortable or frightened. Still, their existence is part of something bigger than what we see.
When I think about it, every creature is like a piece of a puzzle. Without worms, the soil would lose its richness and plants might not grow as well. Without frogs, insects would multiply in numbers we could not manage. Without snakes, rodents might take over our fields. Even the crickets and moths that may seem unnecessary are food for birds and other animals. Life connects in ways that are invisible to us most of the time, but without these connections the world would feel incomplete. Nature does not create things without reason, even if that reason is not always obvious to us.
Yet what fascinates me the most is how some animals take on meaning beyond their natural purpose. They may serve an ecological role, but they can also hold a personal role in our lives. This is where doves enter my story. If someone asked me the purpose of a dove, I could say they are gentle birds, symbols of peace, sometimes released at weddings as a sign of hope and harmony. But for me, their deepest purpose has nothing to do with traditions or symbols. It has everything to do with my daughter.
My little girl is just a toddler, curious and full of wonder, discovering the world in small steps. And among all the things she sees, doves are her favorite. She lights up the moment she notices them. Her laughter rings out the instant she begins to chase them. She runs after them with tiny steps, arms stretched out as if she could catch one, even though she hesitates to get too close. There is a mix of excitement and caution in her eyes. She wants to touch them, yet she knows she is not ready. The dance between her eagerness and her hesitation is pure joy to watch.
There are afternoons when we find ourselves spending hours near a square or a park where doves gather. I might begin with the thought that we will only stay for a little while, but then time slips away. She becomes so absorbed in feeding them crumbs or watching them fly that the rest of the world fades into the background. Her laughter becomes the soundtrack of those moments, a melody that makes even the ordinary day feel like a memory worth keeping. For us, the purpose of the doves is clear: they bring her happiness, and in turn, they bring us happiness.
It makes me think that the existence of animals cannot always be explained by science alone. Yes, nature has its systems, its food chains, its balance of life. But beyond that, animals also connect with us emotionally. They inspire wonder, comfort, excitement, even fear. For a child, they are teachers without words. Doves are teaching my daughter about curiosity, about gentleness, about the thrill of discovering something alive and moving beyond her reach. They also teach her patience when she sits quietly with food in her hand, waiting for one to come close. And they teach her respect when she realizes the birds are free and cannot be kept.
Some people might say doves are just another kind of bird, but for us they are a reason to laugh more, to stay longer in the sunlight, and to enjoy the simple rhythm of life. I believe this is their gift to us. Every time I see my daughter’s face brighten when she spots a dove, I am reminded that sometimes the most important purposes are personal. Maybe the doves are here to clean up stray seeds in the fields, maybe they are here as part of the food chain, maybe they carry meaning in stories and traditions. But for my daughter, their role is different. They are companions of her play, small winged creatures that make her childhood more colorful.
I also notice how these moments change the way I see the world. When you become a parent, you start to see ordinary things through your child’s eyes. I have walked past doves many times in my life, never paying much attention to them. They were background creatures, just part of the city scenery. But now, because of my daughter, I stop and watch. I notice the way their feathers shine in the sun, the way they tilt their heads when they peck at the ground, the way they rise together into the air as if they share one mind. Something I once overlooked has now become something meaningful. And it all happened because a child found joy in them.
This makes me think that maybe the purpose of animals is not only tied to nature’s system but also to the way they connect with us. A cricket’s chirp can make a summer night feel alive. A frog’s croak can remind us that the pond is still healthy. A worm working under the soil helps our gardens bloom. A dove flying freely can make a child’s heart race with delight. Their purposes are layered, some visible and some hidden, some practical and some emotional.
It might sound simple, but I believe the world would lose something precious without these creatures. Imagine a park without doves, a summer night without crickets, a forest without frogs. The silence would not just be about missing sounds. It would be about missing experiences, missing opportunities for wonder, missing connections that remind us of how alive the world truly is.
So when I ask myself why animals exist, the answer is never one single thing. They exist because the earth needs them, but they also exist because we need them. Not just for food, not just for survival, but for joy, for wonder, for the lessons they quietly pass to us. My daughter does not know anything yet about ecosystems or food chains. She does not care about symbolic meanings or traditions. For her, doves exist because they make her smile. They make her run, laugh, and play. They make her afternoons brighter. And in her laughter, I find my own answer.
Doves may never know the role they play in our family’s happiness. They will continue to fly from one place to another, to feed, to nest, to live their simple bird lives. But for us, they will always be remembered as the ones who gave our daughter moments of pure joy in her early years. That, to me, is enough of a purpose.
