Have You Ever….

Have you thought what life would be like if there were no pets? Of course this is more relevant to animal/pet lovers. I have been a carer for animals and pets since I could walk. Animals are creatures way smarter than a lot of people give them credit for. They love you without question. They relate to our feelings and emotions. They know when something is wrong. They tell you when they trust you.

Animals try hard to communicate if we would just listen. My dogs would ring a bell to say they wanted to go outside. My cats come purr in my ear to say they are happy. My bird comes and kisses my face to say he is feeling affectionate. Even my snake says he likes the movie by being engaged with the action on the screen.

When my wife of more than 3 decades died I was gutted for sure, even though I had years to prepare for it. When my little dog died I was gutted again. It might not be ok to admit but I still cry about the loss of my dog but not my wife. I think some of that has to with the fact I talk to my wife still. I am not able to communicate with my dog in the same way.

I am one of those who believe that when I step through the door between this life and the next I will see not only my people but also my animals. I have studied all kinds of religious text and I think we and the creatures of all kinds will understand each other without any trouble. My dog will respond with language I understand when I say it is good to see her again. I believe the lion will lay down with the lamb. I look forward to taking my place at the table next to a dragon and we share thoughts about how awesome our G-d is. There will be all kinds of peoples and creatures there.

I think we were given the opportunity to care for animals so we could learn what unconditional love means. Animals don’t try to put forward a false narrative as to who they are. We as a people need to follow suit. We should be able to feel totally safe to sit down with anyone and everyone like my kitten feels safe to climb up and take a nap. Not that I want to put my head on a stranger’s shoulder and go to sleep but it would be nice to feel like I could buy someone a cuppa and talk about what is going on in their world.