 Many have lost the intuitive ability to connect to other species, and we are suffering for it. There are measurable physiologic benefits to living around animals - short and long-term – not to mention mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits. When I press my face against Clara’s velvety ear, or lay my head on her sun-warmed, furry flank, I shed tension. But that’s the least of it; anecdotes abound. In Running With Sherman, Christopher McDougall recounts how violence suddenly plummeted in a prison full of hardened criminals. Why? They were nursing a wounded sparrow that had found its way into their cellblock. But what about our relationships with other humans? Those are threatened too. We lack physical interaction, eye contact, soul connections with each other, and that’s what we’re designed for. If anyone is playing with baby Fiona, and she smiles at them, I see their face transform into a landscape of grateful wonder and joy. Baby smiles, dog snuggles, universal goods. My 60th year in 60,000 words Day 157: 160 words, TOTAL = 25,575; 34,425 remaining |
AuthorRobin Clifford Wood is a writer and writing teacher. She lives in central Maine with her husband and dogs, loves to be outdoors, and enjoys ever-expanding horizons through her grown children and their multi-species families. Archives
January 2021
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