UK residents can gripe about the NHS

Those outside not so much. Americans can frick off.

Not my pet, but my friend's dog. I was introducing two friends to one another. I'll call them Joe and Mary. Mary had a beautiful German Shepherd.

Somehow we got onto the topic of being bullied in high school. Joe had been severely bullied in high school, but he was laughing at the memories because Joe had definitely won life. He is very wealthy, successful, has a beautiful wife, etc.

As we were all laughing at what were clearly some terrible things, Mary's dog gets up, goes over to Joe, lays his head in Joe's lap and looks up at him with eyes full of love and compassion.

It stopped us cold.

It made us all recognize that even though the bullying is over and we have "won," that child you were is still in there and needs comforting. Laughing is fine -- time and distance help -- but that part of you needs and deserves acknowledgement and comfort.

I'd heard this from therapists but never believed it until I saw Mary's dog lay his head in Joe's lap. I knew that dog was more emotionally intelligent than all of us put together.

My dog and I were in a (new to us) pet store. He walked to the end of a very long aisle that had baskets filled with dog treats and toys all along the bottom shelf, but within his reach.

He looked up at me, and I said, “Ok, pick something out, then we’ll take it up to the counter and pay for it.”

He beelined down the aisle, stopping at every basket to smell it or look in it. On his way back up the aisle, he stopped at one specific basket and took an item out. Then, he ignored the rest of the baskets and ran up to the counter at the front of the store with a treat in his mouth so I could pay for it. Lol, I had no idea he understood that part of what I said. Such a good boy! :-).

I have a budgie that repeats a certain set of short sentences and never flies to my shoulder unless he wants a treat. One day my partner and I were arguing, as soon as I started crying he flew onto my shoulder and rapid fired a bunch of "You're okay, It's okay!" between many kisses. He is such a good boy :).

Valparaiso, Chile. Nothing like you read on the internet. A port chaotic city, very dodgy. Gave up going up hill, many people wandering around, very suspicious. Definitely had a dark energy.