“These late-August weeks are called the “dog days.” And not because it’s so hot that you see sleeping or panting canines everywhere you go, but rather because the ancient Romans saw the Dog Star prominent in the heavens during this month. But our own lives are so distanced from the constellations that the expression connects us instead to the actual dogs in our lives.
Dogs, cats, and animals of all varieties keep us grounded in the moment. A dog barking to go our of begging at the dinner table isn’t thinking about tomorrow. Perhaps even better, as Walt Whitman said of animals, “They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God.” Maybe they don’t need to; maybe the more time we spend amidst the animal kingdom, the more God’s presence feels evident.”
From Earth Bound: Daily Meditations for All Seasons by Brian Nelson
Chorlton Unitarians 