So I just got back from the vet. I am not a perfect pet owner. And my dogs are certainly not people. They live outside and do what they want. They sleep on our front porch and bark at night just to be sure we know they’re keeping the forest creatures at bay. I pet them daily and they greet me morning and evening. I don’t really play with them. I work a lot, but when we’re working in the yard, they’re with us. If one of them were to run off and not return, I wouldn’t really be devastated.
But this morning the vet told me they both have heart worms. It is a recent infection. It’s fatal if untreated and she said that even now if they’re out running about there is a chance they could just drop dead.
And so two hours ago they were just dogs I was taking to get rabies shots, but now I face not only the dilemma of lacking $1400, I am also left considering why it is that we hold life to be so precious.
Completely unrelated to this little story is the movie currently playing on the screen, “Blood Diamond.” I’ve already gotten teary eyed a few times... not the first time I’ve seen it. I know how it ends and I hate it. The romantic in me wishes the love story ended happily ever after, but it does not.
For those of you who catch the reference, theology aside, I wish love would win in the end. Life is precious. I’ve known a number of judgmental, self-righteous hypocrites over the years. Hell, I’ve been one myself and still have relapses.
No human is dirty. There are no untouchables. And I know I’ll make myself a hypocrite a million times over before I’m dead and gone for having made this statement.
Why is life precious? Why do I suddenly have a burden for these dogs that I did not previously have? They’re just dogs, right? I have problems of my own. Moral, ethical, philosophical dilemmas that they know nothing of or ever will.
I’m tired.
No comments:
Post a Comment