I just got home from an evening club meeting. During our dinner chatter one of the guests overheard what I did for a living. She started talking about her friend who had just died. She shared they had been constant companions for nineteen years. One of the things she valued most about her friend over the years was that she always listened when she needed to talk. I think a lot of the ladies at the table became a little jealous as she shared lengthy stories about vacation trips they had enjoyed. After several minutes someone asked how they had become friends. She paused for a minute and said her friend had rescued her at the Humane Society after she had lost her husband. The friend she was referring to with such passion was a Chow/Shel-tie mix dog she had adopted after her husband had died.
She finished her story by thanking my company for respecting her grief at the time of her loss. Unconditional love is rare and I personally think it should always be acknowledge as irreplaceable. Appreciate your friends, even if they have a tail!