Pogie and Gratitude

Animal Thoughts

Pogie: Do you ever think about all the humans who made sure you were safe enough and strong enough to get to this moment?

Me: Sometimes.

Pogie: Only sometimes? Do you wag your tail every time you see them because you're so grateful?

Me:

Pogie: That's not what humans do?

Me: It's sort of the wrong message.

Pogie: Gratitude is the wrong message?

Me: It's more about the tail wagging.

Pogie:

Me:

Pogie: I'm sorry that you don't have a tail. That was thoughtless of me to remind you.

Me: No! It's all good. Humans just . . . A lot of us don't . . . We forget to be grateful. We forget that we are indebted to so many people in order to have survived childhood, adulthood, to have shelter, even to get food. But what I do is I sort of smile at everyone, which makes other humans think I'm weird, but I do it because all the people I see--no matter how mean they might be--have helped someone in some little way even if they didn't mean to.

Pogie:

Me:

Pogie: Dogs don't forget.

Me: No, they don't.

Pogie: Tail wagging would be more effective a thank you.

Me:

Pogie:

Me: Potentially.