Friendship!

I was recently going through some old files on my laptop, and came across a page of friendship quotes. I started reading them and it crossed my mind that, while they were all in the context of human relationships, they would also be a perfect fit when applied to/from Ray!

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them” (Mother Teresa).” If I had pre-judged Ray based on his background, or judged him based on the personality that he initially displayed, then both his and my life would be quite different today.

“Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together” (Woodrow Wilson). Dogs know this intuitively and, apart from those with social issues, it is in their nature to be friends. Ray demonstrated that rather well when he made his first move to persuade me to adopt him!

“When true friends meet in adverse hour, ’tis like a sunbeam through a shower. A watery way an instant seen; The darkly closing clouds between.” (Sir Walter Scott).  It really doesn’t matter what the weather is doing, or even what the world is doing, Ray will always be the proverbial sunbeam!

“The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend. I have no wealth to bestow on him. If he knows that I am happy in loving him, he will want no other reward. Is not friendship divine in this?” (Henry David Thoreau). This is probably my favorite here because it would be a perfect message for a dog to offer! All Ray can do is be a friend. He has nothing of the “trappings” that we tend to collect and value, and yet he is happy. He just needs some friends!

“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” (Helen Keller).  Cannot argue with that rationale. I would much rather be trying to find my way around with Ray alongside me, than being  alone with a clearer view of the road ahead!

“It is better to be in chains with friends , than to be in a garden with strangers.” (Persian Proverb). In some respects, this is similar to Helen Keller’s quote (above). Again, I would rather have limitations on me with Ray alongside, than I would being totally free and surrounded by total strangers.

“A friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one’s heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away.” (Arabian Proverb). This is a wonderful quote which I first read in a Kahlil Gibran book, and it is probably the only one here which is a little challenging to apply to Ray…. but is it? I have known people who tell their darkest secrets to a friendly teddy; or to their cat, and even to their dog. The response may be less than dramatic, but the benefits of confiding in a source that is guaranteed not to tell? There is value there!

31 thoughts on “Friendship!”

  3. I wish you had shared this just a few days earlier! We tend to dehumanize dogs (as an extension pets) and think they don’t have the same worth as other humans. I got into this huge argument with someone who basically said, “It’s just a dog in the end…” and I couldn’t fathom how you can neglect the bond that we form and share?? These quotes are ALL applicable to our furry friends !!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Prajakta.”Just a dog” is a statement made out of lack of experience, and should be respected as such. If they have never bonded with a dog, then we should not expect them to understand. All we can then do is try and open their minds to the possibilities… perhaps citing service dogs as case studies, or news items where a person has put themselves at risk to rescue a dog! 🙂

      Like

  8. All great quotes! Helen Keller’s and the Arabian Proverb ones are my favorites, which you could probably have guessed. I think I remember reading them before. 🙂
    You are right, they do fit well with our furry friends!

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.