Two buddies. That’s what we are. We’re closer than that, really.

A father-son relationship. Although it’s probably more like a grand-father-son situation, age-wise.

We talk to each other. All the time. He understands me.  No question about that. And we truly love each other.

His name is Beau, and he’s our 10-year-old-plus Boston terrier.

Sally loves him, just as we have loved all our animals all through the years. All through these many years.

Truth to tell, I can’t imagine living a life without loving, caring for our pets.

We’ve had many dogs, and cats, and even now we have two beautiful bovines, Gladys and Babe — mother and daughter. Plus five rescue cats.

Loving and caring for animals can be restrictive — and expensive.

But it gives you a reason, a focus, to look beyond yourself.  Interest in, and love for, others — people or pets — make it more difficult to be a person whose own wants and needs and interests are, well, self-centered and selfish.

If you are an animal lover, you understand completely what I’m saying.

It’s just simply who, and what, we are.

Those who abuse or neglect animals are not good people.  That’s the kindest thing I can say about them. Perhaps they will have to explain this to a higher power some day.

If I could have one wish, just one wish (well, maybe a two-in-one), I’d decree that no child and no domestic animal would ever be unloved.

But, unfortunately, I’m not going to be granted that wish.

When I get to heaven, I really want to thank those in charge for giving me such a love for animals. Perhaps I’ll be able to tell St. Francis of Assisi. 

I might even be given my own cloud, so I can be joined by all those precious critters that were such an important part of my life.

We’ll try to hold the noise down.

APROPOS: Heaven’s the place where all the animals you’ve ever loved come to greet you. — Anonymous.