Big Thing, Small Package

How could something so small inspire a love so big?  As Willie dozes on my lap I run my fingers through his shaggy coat, my hands over his small body.  I count his ribs, I study the various textures of his snout, and I test all the ways his little joints move.  Willie is completely relaxed despite all my exploration and manipulation.  His eyes flutter twice.  He stretches, rolls to his back, and sighs.  A moment later, he has returned to sleep in the absolute safety of my lap.

I am surprised by the depth of feeling I have for this little creature – a new bond that seems as if it were there all along.  There’s no logic to my desire – my commitment – to protect and care for this pup, but it seems that something inborn but dormant within me was awakened, finally, by our acquaintance.  And though I can still count the length of our acquaintance in weeks, it feels as if our bond is the product of ten thousand years of co-evolution.

Because it is.