Our best friends

I saw this photo on my hard drive today. It made me think of how amazing it is that we can share our lives with dogs.

Do you ever stop and think how strange it is that dogs have become man's best friend? They are from a completely different species, and yet they can live with humans without any problem. Imagine if aliens had come to earth, kidnapped us, and taken us home as pets. I don't think we could stand it. Some say it was in dogs' evolutionary best interests to m partnership with humans. In exchange for their companionship, they get food and shelter. Unfortunately, human beings are not always kind. Some dogs have the misfortune of being taken into homes full of violence and anger. Maybe the luck of where a dog ends up is the same luck we got when we were born. Just like a dog cannot choose it's master, we cannot choose our parents or our family.

I have a dog. He was born in Okinawa as one of six in a litter. His name is Lucky. He is an English Cocker spaniel. I'm not too shy to say this, but, he's definitely the cutest dog in the world. The dog in the photo was named Otis. He belonged to my friend, Mina. Except for the occasional scolding for getting into mischief or the rare peeing in the house, Lucky has lived a life fitting his name. In our home, he is well-loved and cared for. Otis, on the other hand, was rescued from an abusive environment. He was also lucky because he found love later in life. Mina showered him with kisses treated him as if he were her own child. I'm sure that if he could have chosen his owner, he would have chosen her just as she had chosen him.