An academic friend writes an interesting response to my Particular Loves, in this Life and the Next :
I think about these things too, and you’ve put all of it very well indeed. There is another column that could be written about the peculiarly private grief involved in losing a beloved pet, a grief for which there is no generally accepted social recognition. No one excuses a man from work on account of his grief over the loss of his dog, and most people think a man who tears up over the memory of his dog is rather silly. Which fact only adds to one’s sadness. (As does the disproportionate sympathy from people who are nutcases over dogs.)
We launched the First Things 2023 Year-End Campaign to keep articles like the one you just read free of charge to everyone.
Measured in dollars and cents, this doesn't make sense. But consider who is able to read First Things: pastors and priests, college students and professors, young professionals and families. Last year, we had more than three million unique readers on firstthings.com.
Informing and inspiring these people is why First Things doesn't only think in terms of dollars and cents. And it's why we urgently need your year-end support.
Will you give today?
