And then there were the pets: Dogs, cats, horsey’s..cockatiels; and lately, otters. They love us, and we, them. Love. It’s a funny concept. To desire love, is to desire to give love..isn’t it? Sometimes it hurts to love. Sometimes it hurts very much. The object of affection may remain an object..distant, aloof; and it’s often enough to behold the beloved from afar off, building in imagination a love relationship without that other even being aware of ourselves, our feelings. We may be physically close to that object of adoration, though they are worlds distant in appreciation of our heart’s purposeful and burning desire..to enfold them in our love forever. Dogs seem to have mastered that eternal kind of affection..some dogs, the better ones, for as long as they live (or we). Cats, of course, are in it for what they can get; even birds are better than that, landing on your shoulder whistling notes of sweetness in your ear, but, –how much better is the love of G_d? And his forever is better than our forever’s, and that love he feels for us cannot be expressed in words, beyond where words hint at a Truth that has always been and always will be..and can be ours, too, Go! kiss a horse, and remind yourself of the one who created her, perfect as perfect can be, in a real place in a real time..for you! And love that smell. You’ll thank me later. God bless us, everyone.