Love

Of all the things in life, I think one of the profoundest is the bond we can develop with a non-human animal. The love that they display is really awe inspiring to me. I don’t feed her, I don’t shelter her, I don’t treat her maladies. All I do is demonstrate that I’m fond of her. She’s always affectionate, she’s delighted to see me, she trusts me. Having her sitting on my lap, totally chatty, meowing at me, purring like mad because I scratch her under her chin and stroke her head – that never ceases to amaze me.

I visited a friend recently whose golden retriever/rottweiler mix literally squeals whenever she sees me. I see her fairly infrequently, and she always remembers me, and prances with joy whenever we do meet. Tries to jump on my lap, licks my face, refuses to leave my side, rolls over on her back, paws at me if I don’t pay enough attention to her. And all it takes is a little bit of affection. Scratch her ears, rub her chest - that’s all it takes to have a pal for life.

The relationship we have with our animal companions really well and truly is awesome. I honestly think it’s a manifestation of the divine.