The Fifth Love

I suppose that Mr. C. S. Lewis would say that Puppy Love is very close to what he calls "affection," the love of parents for their children, that it is, like "affection," a kind of "need-love": a puppy is totally dependent on us like a child on his parents. Maybe so.

All I know is that when I go to the toilet in this small toilet under the stairs, he stands outside the door and cries for me to come out, and when I quickly open the door to show him I'm there (he knows I'm in there) and will soon be back with him, he lies on the bottom step of the stairs and patiently waits for me to come out. When I finally do, he makes all kinds of cute gestures and lies on his back for me to pet him. He's always by my side, he follows me everywhere, and he never ventures too far away. It is a strange feeling to feel so needed, to feel so wanted, to feel so loved.

"No greater love had a man than he who gave his life for his friends," said Jesus Christ. I get the feeling that if he could, if he had to or if he knew how, this puppy would give his life for me. I may be wrong, I may be right. Who knows what goes on in a puppy's mind? It is a strange feeling, though, to feel so loved.

Somehow, "man's best friend" doesn't seem to cut it, doesn't seem to be enough to explain it. This is as complex and complete a love as any of the others. This is the Fifth Love.