The work of being human for me, I have learned, is to open my heart and mind to the natural world, to push aside the arrogance of the human and connect to the natural world, and the true nature of animals. The work of being human is nourished by caring for animals, and understanding them as they are, not as projections of our sometimes troubled human nature. I share Thomas Aquinas belief that it is important to care for the animals in our world, so that we learn how to be more human, how to care for humans in a better way.