Luna has an uncanny ability to “read” people, other animals, and the environment. Good dog!
Luna, the first and only dog I have owned, has proved to be an extraordinary friend and teacher. She was middle-aged when I adopted her, but I have come to believe that she was already “an old soul” long before we met.
One of her distinguishing characteristics is the quality of her attention–she observes the world with calm, clear eyes. When something seems amiss or “out of context”, she will investigate. Her senses are almost other-worldly. For example, how does she know, from the comfort of her bed in my dining room, that a raccoon is on the roof of the neighbor’s porch? Somehow she senses this, jumps up to savagely bark at the back door and, when released, roars at the raccoon through the fence until it moves along.
To be the focus of Luna’s open, accepting attention and her exquisite awareness is a gift for which I am grateful every day. Through knowing Luna, I have grown to believe: “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” —Simone Weil
I wonder if the quality of attention we receive from the animals in our lives is one of the reasons humans derive so many health benefits from their presence.
What do you think?
SpeciesSpeak - Do you converse with your pets or other animals? 