I began a search. This started a long time ago when I was very small. I was young but I grew along the way. Then again, anything which happened before now is something that happened when I was younger. Either way, I learned and I matured. I started this life in my tiny vessel called a body. And this too has grown and I too have matured. Along the way, I found things. I’ve collected ideas and memories.

Along the way, I’ve looked around to incorporate the flashy substances in life. I looked for things that sets us apart or allows us to glow for one another — or beam, like an unmistakable light or beacon that allows us to stand out and be beautiful. I have learned about light and the absence of life. I have learned about the fears of the dark and the absence of understanding, which in turn is what leads us to the age old question; are we afraid of the dark or the unknown of what’s in it?

There was a hike that took place on the side of a mountain a few years back. I was away from most of the world. The trail was in the woods and the air was hot. The sun was in its early stages and the sunlight was filtering through the leaves in the tall trees. My backpack was packed too heavy. My body was out of shape to say the least. All I kept thinking was “How much farther do we have to go?” on a walk that seemed endlessly uphill.

They say you catch more bees with honey—or is it more flies?
Or does the point have nothing to do with flies or bees at all?
Be nice, they say. Be you, they tell us. But does anyone offer this?

As I sit with my dog, I am thinking about a line taken from Mark Twain that reads:
“Man is the only animal that blushes — or needs to.”
I am thinking about the wholesomeness of his love, my dog, and the way he looks at me. He is an old dog. He does not run or jump the way he used to. In most cases, he has special needs, which means we have to help him.

Like humans, my dog has good days and bad—and there are times when I look at him and see the expression of love in his eyes. All he wants is attention. He has no ulterior motive. It doesn’t matter if I look good or bad. It doesn’t matter if I earned a promotion at work or if I find myself on the unemployment line. I could even smell bad or have bad breath and yet, to my dog, there is literally nothing undesirable or unsightly about me.