Pets in Our Lives
We aren't house-proud. If we were, we wouldn't abide the scratches on the door-frame, the holes in the screen, the
darkened shine of worn spots on the chair. We would wince at the mottled carpet and fret at the hair clinging to our clothes.
We don't. If anything, we lovers of pets are a tolerant lot, finding greater value in the unabashed affection of our furry friends
than immaculate sofas. Things can be replaced, but faithful friends are timeless. Without pets, our homes are cold receptacles
for things. Pets make a fire warmer with their curled presence. They wake us, greet us, protect us, and ultimately carve a
place in our hearts and in our history. On reflection, our lives are often referenced in parts defined by the all-too-short
lives of our pets.
-- Paul Fersen (Author)
(Adapted and reprinted
with permission of Francie R. Remmert)
