This little piggie wanted nothing to do with being a pig. After arousing from slumber, Lila started trying to nurse off the puppies. I’m not a whiz at anatomy, but I’m pretty sure no milk was going to come out of the tiny male. I know Weimaraner pups are irresistible, what with those blue eyes and all, but I think the piggie was overstepping her bounds a bit.

Coco tapped on the pig’s sticky black skin, and the porcine grunted in disapproval. After a minute or two, she was right back at it. Though the puppy didn’t mind, I was a bit concerned that the delicate belly skin of the pup could me punctured. Coco tapped on Lila a second time. The pig protested again, as I suppose anyone would. We both looked down, and the pig has scuttled over to a niblet of bread on the floor and was chomping away while making this deep, rutting noise.

Dear Lila, I thought. I can relate. There are days I, in fact many times, I know just how this petite porcine feels. Each of us, puppies included, were born in these skins. The piggie has tough and kind of sticky skin; the puppies are fuzzy and warm; and I’m - well - I’m white, pasty, and walking erect. Why me? Why me here in Costa Rica - a single parent with a special needs kid? Why a woman? Why can I drive a car? Open jars of mayonnaise? Or play solitaire on the computer?

Like the pig, I often find myself a misfit in groups. My attempts to nuzzle up to most worlds out there has left me hurt, and outcast, disliked, and even hated when all I was trying to do was be nice and have people like me! The human instinct to connect with others runs much deeper than I think any of us want to admit. The problem is, we keep looking to the wrong “kind” to get that warm snuggly feeling from. Drugs, affairs, bad business deals, taxing friendships, chocolate donuts….Aren’t we all doing these things just so we can cuddle up and get that warm fuzzy feeling again?

Who likes saying no? Took me decades to figure that one out. One of the tricks to being a soul inside a human skin is rising above that primal need of snuggling with just anyone or anything - mindfulness. It’s a lot harder than it looks. I know.

Lila scuttled over to a niblet of bread on the floor and was chomping away while making this deep, rutting noise.

Coco can you put the pig outside?

No mom, she said swinging her head back and forth to clearly emphasize the no. I bent down and picked up the little beast and a sound came out of here that I could only repeat if I was an 80 year old man with 70 years of flem built up in my throat from smoking non-filtered Camels and drinking too many martinis. As I walked toward the door, the belching/screeching sound increased and volume. I laughed so hard, I barely managed to open the door. Coco was rolling her eyes and holding her stomach and giggling so hard, she couldn’t breath.

Just as we were about to leave, Lila trotted around the corner. She knew exactly where to find those puppies.