I want to include as much of nature as possible in my personal ecosystem. Animals, strays, and pets are very important to me.
I would like to save more strays than I do, but I do not always have the opportunity. I currently have just one stray, though I have had quite a few over the years. I have also had very long-term pets. My last dog was with me for 15 years, and we said goodbye to her two months ago.
For me, animals, whether stray, wild, or domesticated, give us a lens into other ways of seeing the world and other kinds of knowledge. Their perceptions, as far as we know, are unfiltered by societal norms or too much education. Their way of knowing is immediate and pure.
They live in the moment much more than we do. From them, we learn non-attachment and letting go. In that sense, animals of all kinds are our teachers.
They also move, when they can and without too much human interference, in a way that is consistent with the rhythms of the environment.
