Dixie....How beautiful! You write and speak with such sincerity. And you are certainly not alone in your feelings, Dixie. A difficult, sometimes lonely and frightening childhood taught me very early in life, how healing and comforting the love of an animal can be. The smell of their fur, the warmth of their breath on my face, their sweet kisses, the rhythm of their sighs as they lay beside me, somehow sensing my despair; wanting to console me. And oh, those soulful, soulful eyes. For me, it was a livesaver. And for all the days of my life, their incredible love and devotion, their mere presence, will forever evoke in me an immeasureable depth of comfort, security and peace. It is a love I feel honored to have received and a love I can never repay. Thank you to all the creatures who have helped to make me a better person. I have loved you all with every fiber of my being.