I've always been sad for the worms I find dried up on our sidewalk in the mornings. Every morning brings a new batch of them, they die in their own unique shape.

It must be a horrible feeling not knowing where you are but your body becoming unbearably hot and dehydrated. Not being able to find safety back in the grass.

Brandy as a puppy did her best to honor these creatures. She would enjoy eating their dried bodies on our morning walks. I used to scold her for it, but now, I kind of see why she did it. It wasn't just an easy treat, but rather a tribute to them.

Much like my views on hunting, I always hope that those who kill an animal honor it and use as much of every part as they can. Brandy had the same idea - honor the dead and enjoy them in our own way.

This morning I wore flip-flops out to an area on my university campus that we call the 'well field'. We have five small water wells in a grassy area on the edge of the campus. My teacher wasn't there this morning but the assistant took over and showed us a few things about wells, part of it I already knew about.

As I stood there, I felt something cold between my feet. Looking down at my left foot, a worm had wiggled between my two smallest toes. I raised my foot and it moved back to the grass. I watched it crawl away, and I wondered if it was happy or enjoying the weather. I hoped it would never find a concrete sidewalk.

There are little things in life that seem so very pleasant. Most people would have been disgusted by a worm finding its way to their toes. To me, it was a small sign of life after seeing so much death this year. I hope this tribute honors the worms who die on sidewalks every morning, and I hope they have a good afterlife.