Most are familiar with the quote “A picture is worth a thousand words,” yet there are quite many renditions of this phrase, first quoted in 1906 by Henrik Ibsen, a playwright and theatre director. Since then, it has evolved, used by photographers, and salespeople, and there is no doubt that anyone that has had their breath taken away by a picture has uttered these similar words when taking in detail. Truly, a picture, whether it is of a single red rose or a cluttered, city view, has the potential to evoke conversations about our observations not only amongst others but even within our own minds.

While the summer heat is returning, warming up degree by degree, she finds solace in the cool air conditioning of her house. It isn’t quiet by any means, because between the cacophony of the humming of the bathroom fan, the ever-so slight whirls of the ceiling fans, and the slight sound of the ac vents sweeping cool air into the room, she can hear the barking of her dogs with their warnings of neighbors taking their daily walks, squirrels scattering on the roof, and of course letting her know that there are cats, many cats, taking over the hood. She may be alone, but it is not silent. Oddly, she finds comfort in those things, and her mind is as clear today as it would be in dead silence.

Space. To walk outside and watch the stars light the sky, space appears all around us.  It seems vast, everlasting, no beginning nor end. On a clear night you merely see the brightness of the starts that are miles away.  Even on days when clouds blanket the sky, they feel like an continuous carpet of fluff.

We hear over and over that dog is man's best friend, and until thirteen years ago I scoffed at this statement. I believed myself to be a cat girl and had been the owner of many of these four-legged companions. Sure, growing up we had dogs, but I was never as close to a dog as I was to any of the cats in my life. That was until the day Sabrina entered my life.

            Delving deep into the soul is not for the faint of heart.  No, it takes the strength of armies of men and still reigning in those feelings and sorting them categorically feels like a death-defying act.  I have made many attempts with immediate withdrawal because the pain was unbearable-that was until recently.

Humanity. The unique quality of humans is that we make mistakes and we have the ability to learn and grow. We have heart. Emotion. Most of us can talk about those feelings that exist in a way that is understood by other humans. We know right from wrong, at least most of us do. Or we should.