Angel Animals Story of the Week, 3-5-05, "Farm Animal Friendship" -- Angel Animals Story of the Week

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Date Posted: 11:29:37 03/06/05 Sun
Author: Angel Animals Network
Subject: Angel Animals Story of the Week, 3-5-05, "Farm Animal Friendship"

Angel Animals Story of the Week
March 5, 2005
Visit us at www.angelanimals.net

Dear Friends of Angel Animals,

Welcome to the Angel Animals Story of the Week.

Well, our mysterious cat, the ordinarily unflappable, immutable Speedy, is still attached to the Menard's paper bag. He even tried to carry it with him to pull up onto his favorite chair. When that didn't work, he gave up the chair and returned to sleeping on top of the bag every chance he had.

Speedy seems to have turned into a case study in attachment. He's made us look at what we might be excessively attached to -- our thoughts, opinions, and comfort zones.

Could an animal's unusual behavior be or have been a divine message signaling you to more closely examine your thoughts, words, and deeds?

In today's story Christina shares a story about a special and very spiritual relationship between a sheep and a pig on an Australian farm.

We welcome your stories for possible future publication in this newsletter or in one of our upcoming books.

We invite you to e-mail this week's newsletter in its entirety to others who might enjoy it.

Animal blessings,
Allen & Linda Anderson

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STORY OF THE WEEK

FARM ANIMAL FRIENDSHIP
By Christina Louise Dicker

Our old Suffolk ram [a male sheep], whom we called Rambo, was due for retirement and needed to be separated from his ewes, so we placed him in the front paddock with Ginger, our huge sow [a female pig]. This arrangement suited me well, since the front paddock was right beside the house, and I would be able to observe them from the kitchen window.

At first, Ginger and Rambo were wary of each other and remained a respectful distance apart. However, as the weeks wore on, these two very different creatures began to grow more familiar. I enjoyed watching their friendship develop. They would graze together on the lush pasture, and when they'd had their fill, they would lie together in the sunshine. There were many occasions when I would see them resting side by side and I would sneak out with my camera, hoping to capture the moment.

After a few months, Ginger and Rambo became more obviously affectionate toward each other. The only time they chose to be apart was in the evening when they would each retire to their respective sheds to sleep for the night.

The seasons changed. The days were warm and pleasant. One particular day, I had spent a busy morning in the kitchen. Glancing out the window from time to time, I noticed that the pig and the sheep were nowhere to be seen. That afternoon, my husband and I went out to check on all the animals and this was the day we discovered how strong the bond between Ginger and Rambo had become.

Inside the sheep shed, Rambo's body lay still and lifeless -- old age had finally caught up with him. A couple of feet away, Ginger lay quietly watching over the body, reluctant to leave her friend alone. Ginger had remained at his side since his death, which must have been several hours earlier.

It was a sad sight to behold, yet it struck me as having enormous significance from an educational perspective: If we lower our defenses and learn to trust a little, we offer our relationships a chance to grow. Eventually we may find that love has no boundaries.

The pig and the sheep were a fine example.

BIO:
Christina Louise Dicker lives on a four-acre property near Victoria, Australia with her husband and their many animal friends. She enjoys songwriting and has recorded two songs promoting animal welfare. Christina's story, "The Persistent Princess," was published in ANGEL CATS and another of her stories, "The Quail Offered Hospice," was published in ANGEL ANIMALS.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:

When have you defied convention and chosen an unlikely friend? What could animals teach about ignoring "natural" differences and just loving?

* * * * *

ANGEL ANIMALS QUOTES OF THE WEEK

"No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich."
--Louis Sabin

"'All right,' said the Cat; and this time it vanished quite slowly, beginning with the end of the tail and ending with the grin, which remained some time after the rest of it had gone."
--Lewis Carroll, ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND

"If we open our hearts to other creatures and allow ourselves to sympathize with their joys and struggles, we find they have the power to touch and transform us. There is an inwardness in other creatures that awakens what is innermost in ourselves."
--Gary Kowalski, THE SOULS OF ANIMALS

"Animals are such agreeable friends--
they ask no questions,
they pass no criticisms..."
--George Eliot (1819-1880)

* * * * *

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANGEL CATS: Divine Messengers of Comfort, GOD'S MESSENGERS: What Animals Teach Us about the Divine, and ANGEL ANIMALS: Exploring Our Spiritual Connection with Animals are available at online or regular bookstores and at many gift shops that sell animal books. ANGEL CATS is also a selection of One Spirit Book Club.

* * * * *

OTHER INFORMATION

The Angel Animals Network is devoted to collecting and disseminating original, true stories about the spiritual connection between people and animals. You can learn more about the Angel Animals Network at www.angelanimals.net.

If you send this newsletter to others (and we hope that you will), please don't change it in anyway and include the information above about the Angel Animals Network. Thank you.

This newsletter is sent to you by the Angel Animals Network. Copyright 2005, Allen and Linda Anderson, Angel Animals Network. All rights reserved. Nothing in this newsletter may be reproduced or published without the written permission of the individual authors and/or copyright owners. Angel Animals(r) is a registered trademark.

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