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Jan 5, 2009

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares." --Henri Nouwen

Bella & Tarra: The Odd Couple

When elephants retire, many head for the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tenn. "Every elephant that comes here searches out someone that she then spends most all of her time with," says sanctuary co-founder Carol Buckley. It's like having a best girlfriend, Buckley says -- "Somebody they can relate to, they have something in common with." But perhaps the closest friends of all are Tarra and Bella. That would be Tarra the 8,700 pound Asian elephant. And Bella. The dog. Most of the stray dogs at the sanctuary want nothing to do with the elephants and vice versa. But not this odd couple, as seen in this touching video. In fact, when Bella was left immobile with an injury for three weeks, Tarra refused to leave.