Healthy and Green Living

Here are a two stories–one from Al Pacino–about surprising experiences that showed how powerful and profound animals can be in our lives. The message is that the things that nourish us, give us joy, and help us to live in our hearts take many forms.

“I made connection with a pair of eyes, and thought, ‘This is incredible; these eyes are penetrating me.” I went through the whole performance just relating to those eyes, giving the whole thing to those eyes. When curtain call finally came, I looked in the direction of those eyes, and it was a seeing-eye dog…I couldn’t get over it-the compassion and intensity and understanding in those eyes, and it was a dog.”
–Al Pacino, About a Theatrical Performance

Here is another story, by an unnamed woman:

“One of the first things I noticed when we moved into our new home was the birds. Every morning I woke up to the beautiful sounds of birds calling out their morning song. It was almost a year before I realized that their presence was really a gift from my neighbor, who had an elaborate bird feeder set up in her her backyard just a few feet away from my bedroom window. She died this past year, and the people who moved in never kept up the bird feeder.

“One day when I woke up, I felt surrounded by a cloud of sadness. I lay there for a while, trying to figure out what was causing it and finally realized it was because my morning symphony had flown. I turned toward my husband lying next to me, and he said, ‘It’s the birds, they’re gone.’ That day we went to the store and bought a spectacular bird feeder and set it up in the backyard. Our morning friends are back now.”

Take a little time right now to notice and be thankful for the comfort and support you are given each day by the animals that surround you.