Dogs and cats, too!

Last time I posted was because I had heard the weird question posed on the radio about whether test tube babies had souls, since they were man-made and not God-made. I answered to the affirmative to that question, but I'd like to put out my thanks to the "fundies" who argue that only "man" (although I think we chicks can be included in that, too) has a soul.

If Louise Brown and the thousands of other test tube babies born in the past few decades are found to indeed have souls, then I think it's safe to say that puppies and kitties easily have as much of a shot at their own piece of better-than-James-Brown soul, as well. (At least the woebegone variety we acquire at the casa de Lefty and Bob -- the ones that are conceived in vitro are another story all together.)

The reason this is still stuck in my craw so many days later probably has to do with the fact that we just marked the first anniversary of the passing of one of the best dogs the universe has ever seen. Gynnady was one of a kind -- weird-looking and not very bright, to be sure, but with one of the biggest hearts known to humanity. God we miss him.

This week also marks the transition to "hospice" care for our Sassy cat. She's probably not been on the top of anyone's list for anything, but she's been an okay cat (most of the time) and has taught us a few valuable lessons in the past few years about how even those who haven't always been the nicest around can turn around and become good citizens. Some of us just take a little longer for redemption, but it's possible, whether you're young or old, man or beast. So, we're not sure how long ol' Sassy-cat is with us, but we're managing her pain and making her final days as comfortable as we can, and when the time comes, we'll do for her the final great gift of honoring her life by not making her suffer beyond the point where the pain has no purpose.

Ya know, I think not only do these little buggers have souls, but our caring for them has made us a little more human and appreciative of the many shapes and sizes of the souls around us. Here we're spending thousands of dollars at school and some of our best teachers are curled on our laps and at our feet.