Animal Grace
I have tried all the prayers my mother taught me
kneeling by the bedside when I was five.
They’re all good, but they’ve never felt like me.
I have tried Namaste and Shalom and Amen
because I know words matter and I want to choose
wisely from the lexicon of peace.
But it wasn’t until I saw the three-legged pit-bull
bounding across the playground
that a prayer rose to my lips that finally said,
Oh yes, this is my psalm. This is the hymn
I will carry in my heart until the day I die.
This is the sacred goal I must aim for.
And so, I begin the day with these words.
Dear Lord, let me greet every person
who crosses my path as if they were a dog.
Let my face light up with joy and curiosity.
Let my hand reach out with tenderness and care.
Let me see and celebrate their eagerness to love.
Let me offer up bowls of food and soft blankets.
Let me pause and gaze into their deep warm eyes.
Let me trust their capacity for goodness.
When I find a person who has been mistreated,
who growls like a hungry cur in a dark alley,
let me approach cautiously, but approach, nonetheless.
When I see one who is hungry
and trembling in a doorway, let me share
with them whatever is mine to give.
Let me love first and ask questions later.
Let me see in their eyes the answer
to the only question that matters.
No matter the pedigree, no matter the mix,
Let me see a creature whose only job
is to be loved.
by Gloria Heffernan
Editor’s Note: Anyone who has ever loved a dog (or other fur baby) will immediately recognize the truth in this beautiful ode to kindness.
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