I recently spent a weekend in a beautiful house in the Taos Ski Valley. The house was on a ridge overlooking the mountains and the ski valley. On the first day of my stay, I was sitting outside in the patio, admiring the landscape, when two big dogs came running hesitantly, shyly up to me. When I greeted them, they dropped all hesitation and shyness, and we were as long-lost friends. For the three days of my stay, they would come running over to me wherever I was outside. They were always bubbling over with gentleness and affection. There was no end to their kissing and licking, no end to their friendly love. Like these two open, gentle, friendly creatures, we, too, can let ourselves give and receive the gifts of affection and friendship. Our world needs all the love we can give it. And we can each benefit from all the gentle affection our world offers us.