My dad used to say this was Arthur’s last lifetime as a dog
My dad used to say this was Arthur’s last lifetime as a dog, that he had clearly evolved to the point where he would be reincarnated as a human.
My father was very serious about reincarnation. Even now it amazes me that people believe we only have one life, as if God doesn’t recycle but just tosses single-use souls into giant landfills called heaven and hell.
Anyway, as a child I always wondered about what kind of person Arthur would become. How would he know what to do given that this was his first time around as a human? Would he be as sweet, as patient and noble as he had been as a dog? Would those traits carry over? Or would he have to climb the ladder of human goodness from the bottom?
This question shaped my thinking as a young adult. How much of who I am is a product of my larger evolution, and how much is in my hands now in this particular life? I still ponder this question as I struggle with negative emotions.
So it’s bittersweet to see these pictures and imagine Arthur — that good dog, the best a boy could have — making his way through his first human lifetime. I hope he’s happy. I hope he remembers how wonderful he is.
