Lifesparks: Diary of a GSD (German Shepherd Dog), Entry #11. OF BEST FRIENDS AND SUNDAYS

     One day, while I was admiring and watching a solicitous hen feeding her 10 little chicks, my female human came and sat beside me and patted my back. "Lira, she said, I have something important to tell you." I looked at female human's face intently and noticed that her eyes prettily brightened and her lips broadened into a lovely smile.

"You know, Lira, she continued, in my 54 years on this earth, I have made a lot of friends in different places. And I discovered that there are two kinds of best friends that a person can blessedly have. One is a best friend who knows everything about you and who you hang out with often. The other one is somebody that you haven't seen and seldom talked to for years and years, yet you know in your heart that nothing has ever changed between the two of you."

     Jinky, the mutt, who was also sitting across, nodded in agreement, which puzzled me. Ah, I know why. During our frequent convos, Jinky always mentions a friend who lives in a far away place whom, she said, she will always be tied to even if they haven't seen each other anymore.

     So, I thought, "Ah, so best friends are people you do sundays with. Whether they be present all the time or absent for a long time, they will still be people you do sundays with in your heart." My farm friends and I do sundays every now and then - just being comfortable talking to each other, playing, sharing food and protecting each other when trouble comes. So, female human makes me understand that people you do sundays with are very special people and you call them "BEST FRIENDS".

     "You see, Lira, said female human, I haven't seen this best friend of mine in a span of twelve years, but it seems like we just talked to each other yesterday. She is one person I can be stupid with, belly laugh with, pig out with, cry-like-a-river with and share small and big secrets with. She knows my imperfections. She's crazy as I am. She has been with me in my glory days and never left me in my darkest moments. God has gifted her with so much capacity to love, and to rise over grim circumstances. On raising kids, she is gentle yet dauntless. A perfect example of a mother with very sharp mother's instincts. Now, she has two lovely and wonderful kids."

     Female human continues, "Now, Lira, she and her young child will be coming over to visit us and I want you to be gentle and friendly with them. No rough manners, okay?" Then, female human hugged me tight, stroked my neck, stood up and left.

     Jinky came over to me, grinning, "Lira, remember...gentle..friendly..no rough manners.." "Yeah right, and that goes for you too, Jinky." Before Jinky and I begin to poke at each other's manners, female human came back with a full smile on her face, saying...

   "Oh, by the way, Lira, her name is RADHA."

Ms. Radha...