Lessons from the animal kingdom

The best part of seeing this angel baby waiting patiently outside Trader Joe’s the other day is that he has – I think – the best name I’ve ever heard for a pup.

May I present to you: Mr. Finley Wigglebottom. He was so polite and friendly as he happily watched the door for his mom to finish her shopping errands.

I love dogs so much. And it’s beyond the fact that they are adorable and often cuddly. There is something about them that is so pure and healing.

The world is a harsh place these days, and spotting sweethearts like this brings me to the present moment and reminds me that good does exist after all.

Seeing the way owners such as Mr. Wigglebottom’s take care of their beloved pets — the bandana, the fresh grooming, the little toy sitting in his cart with him, the fact that he is so loved that he runs errands with her — warms my heart and lets me know that even when it might not feel like it, kindness and unselfish love persists in our world.

Ask anyone who has loved a pet to tell you about their creature, and you will hear about some of their most precious memories.

You’ll see how much loving and being loved by their animals has shaped their every day.

A beloved dog will greet you as excitedly the first time you come back as the nine-thousandth time you arrive back home.

There is no worry about tomorrow; there are no regrets about what happened yesterday. There is only here and now.

What a beautiful reminder of one of the most simple but difficult lessons life has to offer. Be here now.

Spreading joy The way a dog’s eyes light up and their whole body communicates unbridled joy when they see their loved ones shows me how much empathy and depth that exists.

My favorite animal on earth is the elephant. I could spend the rest of my life learning about their matriarchal societies, their emotional intelligence, their intricate ways of communicating, and their memory.

Migratory birds somehow know to leave and return every year. Horses recognize and respond to human expression and body language.

Pigs have self-awareness and have both short- and long-term memory.

Whales have complex communication and deep problem-solving skills. Primates mourn their dead.

Bees can see colors that the human eye can’t perceive.

Pigeons can recognize themselves in a mirror. We keep learning more about how intelligent octopuses are.

Social bonds and love are woven throughout the animal kingdom. These are not two-dimensional creatures.

I must have been two and a half years old when my love of animals really started to show itself.

My beloved neighbor Millie was my surrogate grandmother. She was a proud advocate for animal rights long before social media could pull on our heartstrings.

I spent many a magical afternoon with her, wandering about her gardens and sharing our thoughts.

She taught me to care for our fellow creatures and consider what would be the best way to share the world. Millie instilled reverence for animals in me through her endearingly childlike love for animals, great and small.

All these years later and I’m never able to walk past a sweet dog without melting, or to ignore a songbird chirping merrily, and to miss the way that cats will observe and engage with the world around them.

When I travel, spotting wildlife is a guaranteed highlight. I’m endlessly fascinated by the way that wild animals have adapted to their environment. How intelligent life can be from this perspective.

Whether domesticated or wild, I often wonder what the world looks like from their eyes. What are they thinking? What are they feeling? What do they know that we haven’t discovered yet?

So yes — back to that moment recently outside of Trader Joe’s — yes, this sighting made my night. For about a thousand reasons that all come back to the endless love and fascination I have for animals.

It’s really fun seeing the world this way.