Simba; what can I say about him. Ten years of his life with me was a gift. Yes, that would be it. Simba was a gift.

I recently watched “Earthlings.” As difficult and disturbing it was, I watched it. The first part about ‘where your pets come from,” brought many memories of my Simba. My heart ached. I really didn’t want to know. I truly didn’t, but then that’s what awareness is all about. Isn’t it?

Yes, I did get Simba from the Pet Store. Today, I know that is not right. I was unaware at that time. He was the unfortunate one, from the poor gene pool. However, was that my Simba’s fault that he was dumped into this tiny little cage in the Pet Store, separated reluctantly from his mother and siblings? Who knows what conditions his parents were forced into. But I know this much that I was to be his mother for the next 10 years of his life. To love him, to care for him, to cuddle him and to let him know that he was worth it.