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.
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