Julia Louis-Dreyfus

So many years later, I was convinced to get another dog, a black Labradoodle we adopted from Australia, since you couldn't get Labradoodles in California yet. And Brad did his research and figured out how to bring the dog over. which was very good, and it was all very organized. And also, I should say, in my dad's family, there's this tradition of naming female dogs after flowers.

So many years later, I was convinced to get another dog, a black Labradoodle we adopted from Australia, since you couldn't get Labradoodles in California yet. And Brad did his research and figured out how to bring the dog over. which was very good, and it was all very organized. And also, I should say, in my dad's family, there's this tradition of naming female dogs after flowers.

And since our son Henry was a giant fan of the Powerpuff Girls, the perfect intersection there was Buttercup, and that's what we named her. And this is a dog that transformed me. I mean, I was, I still am very much a cat person, but now I'm a dog person too. Buttercup was utterly sublime.

And since our son Henry was a giant fan of the Powerpuff Girls, the perfect intersection there was Buttercup, and that's what we named her. And this is a dog that transformed me. I mean, I was, I still am very much a cat person, but now I'm a dog person too. Buttercup was utterly sublime.

And for the next 15 years of her tender little doggy life, I learned through her what it is to be truly devoted to a dog. I mean, of course, there are lots of reasons to love them. The unconditional love, the companionship, the connection. Plus, guess what? There's a science behind it. This is going to sound bullshitty, folks, but it's true.

And for the next 15 years of her tender little doggy life, I learned through her what it is to be truly devoted to a dog. I mean, of course, there are lots of reasons to love them. The unconditional love, the companionship, the connection. Plus, guess what? There's a science behind it. This is going to sound bullshitty, folks, but it's true.

When people spend time with dogs, and especially when we look into a dog's eyes or cuddle with a dog or whatever, our oxytocin levels rise. We looked it up. And in humans, it plays a really important role in social bonding and in love and reproduction and childbirth and caring for children after you give birth to them. And here's the completely outrageous part of all of this.

When people spend time with dogs, and especially when we look into a dog's eyes or cuddle with a dog or whatever, our oxytocin levels rise. We looked it up. And in humans, it plays a really important role in social bonding and in love and reproduction and childbirth and caring for children after you give birth to them. And here's the completely outrageous part of all of this.

When we make eye contact with our dogs, their oxytocin levels go up too. Isn't that amazing? So this all leads me to my mother-in-law, who is 96 years old. Talk about wiser than me, my God. She is one of the dearest, most selfless people I've ever known. She is the most selfless person I've ever known, actually.

When we make eye contact with our dogs, their oxytocin levels go up too. Isn't that amazing? So this all leads me to my mother-in-law, who is 96 years old. Talk about wiser than me, my God. She is one of the dearest, most selfless people I've ever known. She is the most selfless person I've ever known, actually.

She suffers now from serious frontal lobe dementia, but her personality, by the grace of God or whoever is in charge of the universe, is utterly unchanged. And if you met her, your oxytocin levels would skyrocket because she's just that kind of a person. So we often take our dog, George, over to her little cottage to visit. And she has no functional memory at all.

She suffers now from serious frontal lobe dementia, but her personality, by the grace of God or whoever is in charge of the universe, is utterly unchanged. And if you met her, your oxytocin levels would skyrocket because she's just that kind of a person. So we often take our dog, George, over to her little cottage to visit. And she has no functional memory at all.

So every time she meets our George, for her, it's like meeting a new dog. And each time we have to remind her that our dog, George, is named after her husband, whose name was George. And she laughs and she throws her head back. She thinks that is just so hilarious. Yeah.

So every time she meets our George, for her, it's like meeting a new dog. And each time we have to remind her that our dog, George, is named after her husband, whose name was George. And she laughs and she throws her head back. She thinks that is just so hilarious. Yeah.

And then she looks George straight in the eye and she ruffles his fur and she says in her inimitable way, she goes, oh, the only dogs. And then George, and here's the amazing thing, he only does this with her, okay? He curls up right at her feet and sometimes even on her feet and he doesn't move until we have to go. He just becomes kindness. Kindness.

And then she looks George straight in the eye and she ruffles his fur and she says in her inimitable way, she goes, oh, the only dogs. And then George, and here's the amazing thing, he only does this with her, okay? He curls up right at her feet and sometimes even on her feet and he doesn't move until we have to go. He just becomes kindness. Kindness.

And how can it be that this little domesticated wolf creature can know exactly what he needs to do to bring a tiny bit of joy to his dearest granny? And isn't it so wonderful that there are sometimes unexpected places that love and warmth and joy can be found, even when times seem a little dark? You know, as for all of us these days, they often do.

And how can it be that this little domesticated wolf creature can know exactly what he needs to do to bring a tiny bit of joy to his dearest granny? And isn't it so wonderful that there are sometimes unexpected places that love and warmth and joy can be found, even when times seem a little dark? You know, as for all of us these days, they often do.

So when George lies down at Granny's feet, it just, it really makes me weep. And as Shakespeare said, this is such a great line. Shakespeare says, how much better is it to weep at joy than to joy at weeping? So that's what I'm thinking about today. Sorry, I'm choked up. Animals, family, friends, warmth, and joy. Let's focus on that.

So when George lies down at Granny's feet, it just, it really makes me weep. And as Shakespeare said, this is such a great line. Shakespeare says, how much better is it to weep at joy than to joy at weeping? So that's what I'm thinking about today. Sorry, I'm choked up. Animals, family, friends, warmth, and joy. Let's focus on that.