Today is (was? Considering I’m writing you all at 8:40PM, I’m nearly inclined to write “was”) National Pet Day. This is a day where people celebrate the furry, feathered, frilled, or finned family members. There is a very simple overload of cuteness out there on the Internet today, that I would be remiss without sharing a tiny corner of some loveliness of my own life.

Azula

If you are immediately thinking of this woman:

Then good for you! That is – ironically – exactly who we named Azula for. Well, that and her intensely blue eyes. Sadly, it was during our time with this adorable little psychopathic Siamese that we learned that Bia is allergic to cats. Azula has since found a good home.

Michael

I was around 18 when this handsome fella came into my life. I wasn’t exactly on the market for a horse – content as I was to just ride all the cool beasties at the barn – but there was just something about this guy and his kick-tuchus floppy ears. As you can also tell from the photo below, he had quite the propensity for flight.

Tigger

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing a whole lot of animals over the years, but this little beauty is one that I had a pretty special connection with. In many ways, we grew up together, and at some point along the road, she kind of decided to adopt me. In my early to middle teen years, it seems mroe common that she would spend the night (or part of a night) drooling on my head than not. Included in such contended drooling was lying on my chest, curling behind my knees, and waking me up in the middle of the night. She had a pretty special way of doing this latter. She would jump up onto my bed and start licking. Sometimes this was my arm, sometimes this was the top of my head (my hair mixing with the bristles of her tongue often resulted in her making funny faces), but more often than not, she licked my face. In the middle of the night, having a sandpaper facial wake you from sleep can be somewhat surprising. It was her love of licking that she earned the nickname “Slurp.”

While these three are only the tip of the iceberg of critters I have known and loved and been blessed to get to know, I did want to just call a little attention to them today. Happy National Pet Day, everyone. Do me a favor, would you? Give your animal friends some love for me?

The Queen has spoken.