Growing up, I was the kind of kid who always smelled faintly of hay. My childhood was stitched together with mornings spent feeding chickens, afternoons brushing ponies, and summer evenings chasing barn cats across the fields. Animals weren’t just pets to me; they were companions, teachers, and a source of comfort I could never quite explain. So when I became a parent, I secretly hoped my daughter would feel that same pull toward creatures big and small. Continue reading…
