Laura Darms

I am guessing that Khia is a mix between a German Shepherd and a Chow.  Many people, including me think she looks like a small wolf. She is one of those animals that came into my life for a reason, and I didn't even have to leave home. You'll understand if, like me, you one of those people who never stop when you see a sign for “Free Puppies” or “Free Kitten.” But fate struck when one day my partner was on her way toward the freeway when she saw a truck parked on the side of the road with a sign reading 'FREE PUPPIES."  For some inexplicable reason she stopped the car, rolled down her window and yelled to the man “What kind are they?”  He held up a puppy by the scruff of its neck and that is all she wrote. 

Because “grieving for an animal can be a pretty lonely place,” Barbara Abercrombie created this joyful, poignant, funny, and smart collection of commiseration. Readers meet the cat who entered a neighbor’s window and got in bed with strangers, the dog who demanded down pillows, and even a coyote who became part of the family. The essays highlight the sometimes surprising things animals add to a household — and how their loss reverberates.

I recently received an email rant about my burger blog, Fractured Foodies Having Fun. It reads: "You are suppose to be "in touch" with the universe and have some sort of connection with spirits YET YOU PROMOTE THE EATING OF ANIMALS!?!?  I do not think you are what you pretend to be if you do not see the correlation!"

The "What you pretend to be..." is referring to, I assume, my being a spiritual teacher and aspirant. Hmmmm. Thought provoking, yet unthinking at the same time, this rant is I think. Oh, sorry, my inner Yoda comes out sometimes. "Back Yoda, Back!"

I was going to reply to Jan's email slam but thought, instead to address it in my Confetti Head blog. And, now I am publishing it here because this is an important issue to some people.

December marks the beginning of whale season in Hawaii. Around this time majestic humpback whales appear in Hawaiian waters, having traversed 3,000 miles of deep blue sea from offshore Alaska. The whales stay through the winter, mating and bearing their young. To watch them cavort is a spectacle for the senses and the heart. 

Last Valentine’s Day Michael Fishbach and Gershon Cohen were fishing off the coast of Baja when they encountered a humpback whale tangled in a myriad of fishing nets. The animal’s fins were encumbered to the point that she could not swim and, if she remained fettered, would soon die. Armed with but a pen knife, Fishbach and Cohen worked diligently for over three hours, cutting away one small section of netting at a time, until “Valentina” was free. As soon as she gained a distance from the small boat, Valentina put on a freedom show to bring tears to any eye. (Check out the YouTube record of the event by searching “Saving Valentina.6.8.11.h264.mov”.)

I get it. Every day can be a test. Some days are good, some not so good. I always think I'm prepared for "bad" things to happen, but when there are too many of them in a row, it makes it very difficult to cope. Yet, when human events seem to be taking a turn for the very worst, the Universe always provides all of the blessings that we need.

I just had one of those weeks where one "bad" thing happened after another. Looking back, I call it "my week from hell." It was similar to cramming for a test when you've lost precious notes and broken your arm at the same time, or having to endure military bootcamp. When you're in the midst of a week like this, it sure feels like hell. but there are also many, many blessings.

How can we make the world a better place to live?  In a perfect world there is no suffering. What can we do to right the wrongs we see? I believe that it is up to us to continually strive to make the changes necessary to relieve as much suffering as possible.  So, if it were a perfect world, animals that are destined for the dinner table would not suffer in the process of providing us with food. 

Most people have heard the gruesome stories of how animals are treated on factory farms. Cows are castrated, de-horned, branded, and mutilated without pain killers. They live in filthy, overcrowded pens, are fed an artificial diet with hormones and antibiotics, are not allowed exercise and are separated from their calves at birth. Chicken, pigs and other animals are subject to the same inhumane treatment that causes them to suffer throughout their lives.