Love of the Four-Legged Kind

When slumber fails me and tossing and turning only induces more mental gymnastics than I can bear, it's easy to succumb to The New York Times online. A few choice essays yields a rich field of insight and information and the readers' comments afford the chance to consider diverse points of view.

Last might proved to be like many others and so I wandered in cyberspace and settled on an article about the powerful bond between pets and their owners. As someone who did not grow up with pets (or as my father so aptly put it- "Five kids are animals enough."), I did not understand the pull of that kind of connection. Most of the time, it feels like my husband loves our dog Comet way more than he loves us and the feeling is decidedly mutual. I'm probably going to be less popular with the millions of pet owners all over the world, and I've seen the happiness, comfort and companionship that being with a pet can provide, especially for a child. But the look of love so easily bestowed upon our dog by my spouse is a rare occurence beyond that special relationship. If only he saw what I see- perhaps he would understand and distribute his affections as freely to the two legged members of his family!