Manatees

In the Defenders of Wildlife 2013 calendar, there is a picture for the month of November,of a mama manatee happily swimming with her baby. The picture conveys happiness, contentment, peace, but it filled me with sadness, because I thought of my sweet Basset hound Lafayette, who died on March 28th of this year. I loved her passionately, and the last two years she struggled with a bad hip and arthritis. She was no longer able to go for her loved walks, and it broke my heart, as she became heavier than she already was before, her body becoming a prison to her. Her sweet and patient disposition often reminded me of a manatee, and when I saw the idyllic picture in the calendar, I wished for her to be a manatee in a next life, so her big body would be able to feel freedom in the comfort of the water. Like a manatee, Lafayette was very sweet and harmless, often the brunt of jokes at heartless commentary from friend and foe alike. I miss her every day. I am so glad she died peacefully at home when her heart gave finally up on her cumbersome body. I hope animals have a spirit world too, where they are free from the suffering and trials they endured while in their physical bodies. The blissful picture of the manatee family also reminded me of how often cruelty is hidden in its suffering. When we say something hateful or hurtful to an innocent creature, the blow does not show, but the pain is there, in their eyes. The world must be full of blind hearts, because I have seen and see a lot of animals with pain in their eyes that seems invisible to their heartless owners.