Dear Earth, will you be my friend?

We have a friend who moves slowly and who is a reserved deep-thinker – he had a beautiful mellow labrador for many years. When our little dog Aiko introduced herself to him when she was a puppy, she raced around him, jumping up inappropriately, running away and then back, and generally trying to get him to chase her.

He confessed that he didn’t know what to do with her. There was no meeting point between them – no way of entering into relationship. It reminded me of Aiko’s ‘friendship’ with our cats, who she loves, but who hiss and swipe at her constantly as she gets right up in their face and then attaches her nose to their bottoms and follows them around.

Recently, after many months, Aiko and our friend have begun to make each other’s acquaintance. It began with a stick which was thrown and retrieved, thrown and retrieved. When Aiko is racing back towards you with a stick in her mouth, it is difficult to see her massive grin and not be infected by it.

Sometimes it’s hard to make friends, dear Earth, with your strange humans, your animals, your objects and your landscapes. Sometimes the other is oblivious or hostile. Sometimes we’re trying to make friends with each other, but we’re just not speaking the same language.

What helps? Time. Curiosity. Playfulness. Faith in the goodness hiding in others. An open mind. An awareness of our own sore spots and what pokes at them. A willingness to learn a different language. Forgiveness. A big happy grin.

Yesterday our friend looked at Aiko and exclaimed, ‘hasn’t she got beautiful eyes?’.

Help me to find the beauty in everything and everyone, darling Earth. Help me to make friends with all of you.

Love, Satya <3