“From your description, it sounds as if fruits are magical,” I said.

“Allow me to probe your thought with this question,” he said while picking up a piece of bread,” If I would challenge you to invent a machine that can make bread by using all left-overs and mix the remains of plants and dead animals inside, and, at the push of a button, this machine would produce delicious bread. Do you think you would be able to invent that?” he asked.

“I don’t think so,” I answered truthfully.

“And that’s not all. After producing the bread, the leftovers should be left to rest for a while to regenerate and to later become a new bread-making machine themselves. Do you think you could do that?” Kyran asked, pushing on.

“No, I don’t think anyone can because that’s absolutely impossible. How could a machine perform this kind of magic?” I asked.

“Then let me tell you that the fruits we are eating are nothing less than these magical machines,” Kyran said, with a benevolent smile.

I was speechless as I hadn’t expected that answer.

“What??” I said, incredulously.

“God created this food-producing machine for us. It is the most amazing machine, it’s so amazing that no other beings in the universe have been able replicate it. Apart from producing food to fill your stomach, it also nourishes you with life energy. This life energy comes from the universe, from the light that forms the aura radiating around us. It’s the one element that nourishes not only our physical body, but also our energetic body, too.”

“By using animal waste or scraps as fertilisers for the fruit trees, they are able to grow and produce delicious fruits for us. After eating them, we plant their seeds in the soil and they will later grow into new trees that bear the same delicious fruits.”

“Would you still not accept that fruits are the most wonderful and magical ‘machines’ that exist in the universe?” Kyran asked again.

“Well …” I hesitated, not knowing what to say.

I had never thought of it that way before. Since I was a child, I had enjoyed eating fruits, but I had never considered this aspect, even though I know how trees and plants grow.

“To be honest, I can’t deny that anymore,” I answered meekly.

“What is even more astonishing is that the colour, taste, and fragrance in all the thousands of varieties of these fruits have been exclusively designed for us humans,” Kyran added.

“Why not for animals, too? They also eat fruits,” I asked him out of curiosity.

“It’s true that a lot of animals like monkeys and insects also eat fruits but they have a different eating behavior,” he explained.

“How different is their eating behavior?” I asked.

“What makes animals different from us is that they can’t think, can’t question, and they’re unable to appreciate things,” Kyran answered.

“What does that have to do with eating fruits? I’m afraid that I don’t see the connection,” I replied.

“First of all, when animals eat, they do that without thinking. They intuitively know what is edible and what is not. Unlike animals, humans have the ability to reflect on and distinguish between the different characteristics of fruits, whether they are red, yellow or green, or if they taste sour, sweet or bitter. We can identify them by their names, analyse and evaluate their health and nutritional benefits, and appreciate their individual characteristics. All of this is attributed to the human ability to think, which is something that animals can’t do,” Kyran explained.

“Secondly, it’s the ability to ask questions. Animals are not able to understand where fruits come from or how they are grown. For instance, they are not able to enquire who planted the trees, or think even deeper and ask who created them, why they exist, or even find out their nutritional and medicinal benefits. Whenever you enjoy fruits, you should pause and reflect on these questions, because we human beings are a more advanced species.”

“And finally, it’s the ability to appreciate, “Kyran went on. “This is one of the most important human qualities, whether it’s appreciating the taste, the beautiful colours, or the properties of fruits. The ability to appreciate all these  is a very special quality which is unique to humans.”

“I’m not clear about the ability to appreciate. Could you please explain and give some examples?” I said.

“Let’s say, you have painted a beautiful picture of a landscape. You have created a wonderful artwork, using your skills in deciphering the different graduations of colour tones and brushings, and after you have completed the art piece, you are likely to be happy with it. But if you are the only human being living in the animal kingdom, these creatures would not be able to appreciate your talent. They could never be impressed nor appreciate the beauty of your wonderful artwork. You would need to find someone who has this sense of appreciation, because without another human being, your artwork wouldn’t be distinguishable from any other common object, like, for example, the stones on the ground. The only living thing that possesses this sense of appreciation is the humankind,” Kyran said.

“God, the Creator, values this appreciation, too. When He created all these magnificent things, He wanted someone to appreciate them. Animals can be admired but they can’t admire. Therefore, when He created humans for the first time, He gave this ability to us so that man could appreciate all of His creations.”

“A perfect human must have the quality of appreciation. And humans who strive to build a relationship with God must be able to appreciate His work. At the same time, you also have the same ability as the Creator. When you create something, He will be there, waiting to appreciate your creations.”

“And this is why our eating behavior is different from that of animals,” Kyran concluded.