I wonder why Rocky speaks to me – and to others – so powerfully. Yesterday I went and sat next to him and thought about it.

I think Rocky speaks about life, aging and death. It’s always struck me as odd that Americans fear death so much, given that we are all doing to die. It has also occurred to me sometimes that most of our fears also seem trivial and pointless, given the fact that our time is short and our destination clear. Rocky speaks to me of acceptance, of moving through life gracefully, of living in the moment. I do no imagining him lamenting the loss of his barn, or his sore legs and movement to the edge of life.

This is one of the things animals can teach us. I am also aware of the odd reality that while I imaging Rocky as moving through life with acceptance and wisdom, Rocky is surely not thinking about these things at all, and that is much of the beauty of him and the appeal. He does, says his owner, what he has always done. Grace, rest, grace and rest again. When the barn collapsed, he simply moved beyond it, to the next thing. Surely, a message for me. Sunday night: Bedlam Farm Diary, Vol. 4, Rocky’s Meaning.