Every Thursday, they have a Lunch Talk at the Village Cafe! Each animal area has a representative that stands up in front of everyone to talk about an adoption story, an informational story, etc. Today, I did the Lunch Talk with Michele! She wanted everyone to hear about bunnies from an intern's perspective. As nerve-racking as it was, I think I did ok! I explained how when I started working at bunnies, I didn't think there was much to them besides their cuteness. But after my week was over, I realized how much I had learned about bunnies and I think that everyone else needs to give bunnies a chance too! :)
As I ate lunch and waited for our turn to talk, I couldn't help but notice this cute, little pitbull named Ray outside on the patio. Ray is one of the "Vicktory Dogs". He, among many others, have been adopted out in the years passed. He's a very sweet, and friendly dog... He walks up to everyone and says hello. As people greeted Ray, his owner explained that he was a Vicktory Dog. Many people were so surprised and just in awe of how far he had come and how nice of a dog he was after all he'd been through. Many people took pictures of Ray and admired his calm, easygoing demeanor. I sat back, also admiring his awesome demeanor. But then I couldn't help but think... What does Ray think of all this?? People are taking his picture, fawning all over him, speaking so highly of him. Not that he doesn't deserve all of this special treatment (because he does), but I think Ray could care less about all of the special attention. Even after everything that Ray has endured in his life... He's still kind, humble, affectionate, selfless... You name it. He didn't ask for any of his circumstances, but he did what he had to do to overcome them. Ray is a prime example of why I love dogs. Their resilience to come back from anything, their humility, and their lack of ego and pride in any given situation, is the most beautiful thing in the entire world. Dogs don't care if you want to take a picture with them because they overcame unimaginable circumstances, or if you tell them how proud you are of them for making it through the hard times. That's worthless to a dog. They don't need all of the shallow, ego-boosting crap. All a dog wants is your love and your affection. If only people could begin to learn a thing or two from dogs, the world would be a much better place. Wouldn't it?
Anyway, I just thought I would share my very small revelation that I had at lunch! Thanks for that, Ray :). After lunch was over, I had a few minutes before I needed to be back at horses. I decided to stop at Angels Rest.
At Angels Rest, they have wind chimes everywhere. The reason for the wind chimes is because each time the wind blows, it's to remind us that our loved ones are near, or that they're doing ok. When I started to walk through Angels Rest, the wind was pretty still. A minute or two had passed, and suddenly, the wind picked up. All I could hear were wind chimes. It was such a beautiful, humbling experience. So many animals that had been loved by so many, that had forever changed people's lives, and that made this world a better place simply by being themselves. To feel all of those things at once, took my breath away. I was astounded by the amount of love and warmth that I felt within Angels Rest. It was undeniable. I feel like I could go on and on about how amazing Angels Rest is. It is definitely something you need to experience for yourself!
After my lunch hour ended, I returned to horses. I basically did the same things in the afternoon that I did in the morning. But I got a chance to hang out with my favorite horse, Lady! I mentioned her already, but she is beautiful girl, and such a sweetheart! She's super friendly, and she loves all people. Lady let me pet her for a good 20 minutes. As many of you know, being near horses (let alone petting them) is a huge step for me! I think that I can honestly say that my fear of horses has been diminished! Yay! I actually think I'm going to miss the horses once I'm gone!
