The Quiet Weight of Fur and the Rhythm of Rest

There is a specific kind of silence that fills a room when the house settles for the night. It is not an empty silence, but a heavy one, filled with the breathing of those who share your space. For many people in this country, that breathing belongs to a dog or a cat curled at the foot of the bed or pressed against the side. We often think of sleep as a solitary act, a retreat into the self where the body repairs itself away from the demands of the day. (more…)