From The Storyteller
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April 8, 2019, Cats
Black, hunched, tail curled and twitching, six feet away, and staring right at me. It’s my morning walk. It’s Tuesday, and the cat, except for its tail, is as still as a stone. It hangs out down the block in front of the corner house. I see it almost every morning, and it’s the same cat that on Monday ran and hid under a parked car when I was still 25 feet away. Cat people, can you help me understand why cat antics change from one day to the next? Barking all day (and many nights) is a gift we receive from our neighborhood’s dog. We live in a quiet neighborhood with not much going on, yet most days this dog really does put in a good day’s effort. We have other dogs in the neighborhood, who bark when I walk by the house, but that’s it. Dog people, help me understand why one dog barks and another doesn’t. Which leads me to the nature of true love, because cat and dog people truly love the animals they care for. Yes, they will tell you, without missing a heartbeat, those animals are a part of their family. While sentimental awes over cute puppies and kittens happen, the love that makes an animal a part of the family is different. There is a connection on a deep level. I have experienced it, and confess I cannot explain it. It has happened in my life with cats, dogs and fish, and Elaine’s story includes the horse she rode growing up. Love is a strange thing that flows from a well that never runs dry. It knows no boundaries and includes everything from family and friends, to animals, mountains, and the ocean. Moral: Loving the animals you care for is real love. |