We spend time with those we love and love those with whom we spend time. Many of us, even the most unlikely, count animals, pets as our friends.
- "I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals." Sir Winston Churchill British politician (1874 - 1965)
Often our pets become a reflection of our personalities (or idiosyncrasies).
- I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult. Rita Rudner US comedian
I am not a poet, so this Valentine Day I return to a poet for whom I have found guidance and meaning in the past. These words from Walt Whitman (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) in "Song of Myself" from his collection Leaves of Grass ring true today:
- I think I could turn and live with animals, they're so placid and self contain'd,
- I stand and look at them long and long.
- They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
- They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
- They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
- Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things,
- Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago,
- Not one is respectable or unhappy over the earth.
We all long for reciprocal love which can be very powerful. It is shared- that is, I love you because you love me. There is a balance, an equilibrium- an exchange. Our pets can be pretty fickle, which might account for the vast sums spent on pet treats and toys:
- "Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this."
- If a dog jumps in your lap, it is because he is fond of you; but if a cat does the same thing, it is because your lap is warmer. Alfred North Whitehead English mathematician & philosopher (1861 - 1947)
I am giving you some clues to my age, but I'll end with words from another wise voice from the past, Ann Landers:
- "Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful."
You may enjoy reading: Animals should not use human language
You may also enjoy reading: Dogs are our friends, too.
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