As you watched the beautiful short film we showed at the beginning of this service, I’m sure many of you were struck, as I was, with the feeling that we simply must find a better balance the world’s eco system if we are to survive as a species.  And so we look for ways that each of us can contribute toward helping solve our dependence on fossil fuels by driving less, using less energy in our homes, and reusing instead of throwing out.  But this film also pointed out the loss of diversity we are experiencing globally, as the impact of human expansion and development impacts all life forms on the planet.   No where is this loss of diversity more apparent than in the loss of species and the varieties of crops grown around the world. 
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Sunday, November 15, 2008

  When Michele asked me to lead this service, I was thinking that it would be mostly animal stories-some humorous, some sad.  But as much as I love my patients, that sacred thread of connection has always included their people.  And I have been truly blessed to have some wonderful teachers.

When I began practicing 25 years ago, I decided to make house calls.  First to provide a private, compassionate way of performing one of my least liked tasks, euthanasia, and then later for elderly clients who either didn’t drive or who were unable to leave their homes. 

Francis Dill was one of those. The first time I went to her small house to trim the nails of one of her stray cats, I went alone thinking it wouldn’t take long.  Almost as soon as I arrived, the cat escaped.  Thinking it was a wasted trip, I prepared to leave but she motioned towards her kitchen table and invited me to have a cup of tea with her.  I realized that she wanted to talk. So I sat down and over the next few hours listened to her life story. 
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