Sunday Quote of the week.

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”
Anatole France

The Animals in our lives

None of us who love animals can dispute the important part they play in the lives of humans. Animals are a part of our personal, social, or even business lives, managing, with what seems to be very little trouble, to become one of the most important things about your life story.

When you begin to go back through history you find countless situations where animals have played a massive role interacting with their humans. We all have animals who are friends, companions, some maybe benefactors or protectors, but more than anything they offer us a special comfort. Imagine the world without animals, and if it were only inhabited by humans, something inside me cringes at the thought.

Apart from being faithful companions, animals have offered many other benefits for humans. Before the time when insulin could be artificially produced, it was extracted from horses. Not a nice process, but it saved uncountable lives. You can never go past the role of guide dogs, those amazing and loyal companions for the visually impaired. Lastly we must not forget, the talented artists around the world, who provide us with such inspired interpretations of the animals we all love and know.

Even today, there are still animals who are under-rated and under-appreciated by humans. Those who neglect, abuse and ignore, do so only out of selfishness or ignorance, and I feel ashamed for them. The animals with whom we share God’s earth give us solace for the soul, beauty and grace, they teach us great lessons of love, and a renewed understanding of the vast universe of life.