By Charles “Tom” Brown
Copyright 2008
A fellow inmate, Mike, found a ground squirrel that had been injured and left to die in the hot sun. Mike rescued him and began to nurse him back to health. He named his new friend “Little Buddy” and created a bed for him next to his. He fed him and gave him milk from an eye dropper. With Mike’s gentle care, Little Buddy began to grow stronger and was soon being his playful self. The bond between the two grew and grew and what a strange and wonderful sight it was to see this large, tough-looking man nurturing and caring for his tiny friend.
But then, the inevitable happened. Mike woke up one morning and found that Little Buddy had died during the night. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone so broken up. Mike cried uncontrollably.
These two were together for only a few weeks and yet, Mike will never be the same again. Perhaps, after all, Little Buddy’s purpose was to help Mike get in touch with his feelings. If we open up to these unexpected messengers, animals can be some of our greatest teachers.
A study showed that when patients in several nursing homes were allowed to keep small lap pets, their medication need was reduced by 70 percent and their mortality rate slowed by 50 percent. It is not medication that keeps us alive; it is the giving and receiving of love that sustains us.
I applaud the furry, four-legged, two legged, flopping and flying animal friends who grace us with so many gifts. They soothe and uplift our soul.
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