Animals...

I read a blog post this morning about having to "dispatch" a lobster for some delicious lobster rolls, and it made me think about my attitude on animals and eating them.


My father was raised on the Navajo reservation in New Mexico/Arizona.  Growing up he watched the Navajo people love their sheep, allow them to sleep in the hogan with them, and really baby them.  When the time came, they would say a prayer, thanking God for the animal, thanking the animal for their companionship and for the food and wool they would provide for the family, and then dispatch the animal.


From that he taught my siblings and me that when we have an animal we are to take care of it and give the animal the VERY BEST life we can.  If we didn't take care of our animals, life was not very happy!  There was never an acceptable reason for the cow to be without water or the chickens not to have feed etc.  


When time comes to eat the animal, we know that we have taken the very best care of the blessing that Heavenly Father has given us and then we can enjoy the nourishment they well provide for us.


We were also taught not to waste.  One time we had a bunch of salmon dropped off at our house on a Sunday morning.  The salmon all needed to be cleaned and processed.  We went to the first hour of church that day, then went home and cleaned salmon.  A lot of salmon.  We didn't waste what was given to us just because it was given at an inconvenient time.  My mom always had a garden and took a lot of time preserving the food we had grown.  She would spend hours picking raspberries, making jam and freezing fresh raspberries for us to enjoy a treat in the winter.


So is there a point to this?  Not really.  :)  Just remembering some of the wonderful attitudes that I was raised with, and how much I love a good steak.