This week I’m celebrating the paws and whiskers that keep our lives grounded in both mystery and meaning. To honor our four-legged muses, I’ve paired two works of art and literature that walk the line between playfulness and philosophy.
On March 14th we celebrate International Pi Day. “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel tells the story of a young Indian who is lost at sea in a lifeboat with an orangutan, a zebra, a hyena, and a tiger. A reviewer wrote that “Life of Pi” was about God, survival, and tiger training. I showed my fine art at a Big Cat Rescue Fundraiser in Tampa which rescues exotic cats and rehabilitates injured or orphaned native wild cats. Big Cat Rescue was the subject of Netflix's “Tiger King” not long after the fundraiser.
“Where the Red Fern Grows” is one of the most popular children's stories ever written. Throughout the novel, we see how love, and not just loyalty, enables the boy and his dogs to persist and overcome. “Where the Red Fern Grows” has been banned for its content dealing with violence and death. Eileen, my friend who was a dog trainer, was also a licensed massage therapist and treated both new mothers and their babies. She saw in her practice that our lives, from beginning to end, resemble a complete, full circle.
