I am my fathers daughter

I never really thought about why I love animals and why I'm passionate about them. It just seems natural that you would care about an animal that is a sentient being, right? Well, I was speaking with my father the other day and it hit me where I think I get this from. My father is a renaissance guy -he's a wonderful chef, a talented musician (12 string guitar), an awesome designer and a guy who can pretty much do whatever he sets his mind to.

He owns a 13 acre farm out on Long Island where he grows wonderful Hydrangea, Peonies, and other life forms. That should be your first hint - he gives life. But here's the one that had my laughing so hard I was crying. Deer and woodchucks routinely visit to eat his crops. He's had modest success keeping the deer away but the wood chucks are a tenacious lot. So he buys a whole slew of Have-a-hart traps and sets them out. He goes out each morning, gathers up the full traps and...does nothing. He can't release them because he would be fined if caught. So he stares at their little brown eyes and they stare back. And he does what any evolved human would do. He releases them so he can start the process again. He doesn't have the heart to harm them even though they whittle into his livelihood.

Sayings like "The acorn doesn't fall far from the tree" exist for a reason.

I love my father and my four legged kids. Happy fathers day dad.