My father is a hunter and a fisherman. He also bred dogs. My mother grew up in a very rural area, helping her dad out on their farm. She was also an avid believer that families should have pets. There are many photos of my siblings and I holding lifeless and living animals. We also had wall mounted deer head that I recall petting and fawning over. I have a deep love for wildlife, even down to the ant and spider. I feel that they deserve as much respect as humans, even if we cannot communicate through the same verbal language. These creatures are a vital part to the ebb and flow of nature. Without them we lose a tremendous amount of beauty and energy. Recently I was introduced to two different artists paying tribute to deceased animals that they happened upon. Both created lovely images of memorial using floral and other natural arrangements. I feel like the utmost respect was given to these beings. They are treated as sacred entities, just as we would do for our own dead. I am incredibly in awe of these beautiful ritualistic images. If we were to pay homage to all aspects of the natural world as they live and die, there might be more of a cohesive, empathetic union of sorts.