Tuesday, April 12, 2005

why i love animals...

I take it back. I don’t hate animals. In fact, there’s only one animal I’ve ever really loved. And her name was Emma. Judy’s had Emma for ages. And I’ve taken care of Emma for ages. Emma has snuggled with me when no one else would, protected me when I was scared shitless, and listened to my problems when everyone else was tired of my whining. In fact, I’ve always maintained Emma is half human, having a deeper understanding of people than most shrinks.
Emma’s been sick. Apparently going through cancer with both Judy’s late husband AND Judy took its toll on poor Emma. She passed away on Sunday.
I’ve never cried over an animal before, not even my dead cat Toby, whom I put to sleep while attempting to calm my distraught father. But Emma? I am now overwhelmed with emotion, devastated for Judy and Pete, and indeed for me, who will never again have the unbridled devotion of the greatest animal ever to live…