Recently I had an epiphany. Now granted, it wasn’t a blinding flash of life-affirming clarity served up with the standard-issue swirl of smoke, piercing golden light and harmonically ambiguous angelic voices. However, it was pretty substantial as far as epiphanies go.

After downing an entire two-liter bottle of Diet Mountain Dew and soaking up an engaging night of infomercials, educational nature programming and Babe: Pig in the City (hey, don't judge me), I realized something — animals kinda rock.

When you think about it, our furry, finned and feathered friends selflessly provide us with a bounty of goodness and riches: Milk, eggs and bacon for those late-night Denny’s runs. Delicate pearls that are carefully strung together and presented as a peace offering for accidentally forgetting an important anniversary. Luxurious pelts fashioned into novelty ring-tailed Daniel Boone hats and purchased impulsively during a lackluster family vacation through Oklahoma. Those enchanting Aflac commercials. But a closer look into the lives and habits of these amazing creatures can offer some priceless insight to our own relationships.

In early May, the Associated Press (AP) ran a story about J-1, a giant Pacific octopus living at the Alaska SeaLife Center. At five years old and 52 pounds, J-1 was entering the last phase of his life. His skin showed signs of eroding, his suckers began to develop divots and he probably needed tiny glasses to read fine print. Aquarists at the SeaLife Center found him to be sweet and gentle, occasionally reaching out playfully to staff members cleaning the tank. However, despite several attempted pairings with other aqua-friends, he never seemed to make a love connection. Soon aquarium officials began to question if J-1 would ever find romance.

In a final attempt to help him lead a full life, the aquarium staff decided to introduce J-1 to Aurora, a fetching 45-pound beauty living inside an old tire near the facility. Moments after being poured into J-1’s tank, Aurora took the lead, reaching out to touch her Romeo, then retreating to a far corner. Something clicked. J-1 approached the lovely Aurora, and soon the two were tenderly intertwined, arm in arm in arm in arm, etc.

After eight full hours of sweet cephalopod love on the stony walls, J-1 abruptly changed color from white to deep red. And faster than you can say “thar she blows,” spermatophores were seen hanging from his siphon. Okay, I just gagged a little, but the sentiment is still there.

So what’s the lesson – other than to not eat a tuna salad sandwich while reading online news articles? It’s never too late. Whether you’ve been afraid to commit in the past, or found yourself avoiding intimacy because of a painful breakup or personal loss – you can find love and genuine happiness … even with divots in your suckers.

Commitment is an integral part of nature. Just look at beavers – they find a partner and mate for the rest if their lives. So do prairie voles, many birds and even praying mantises (Although, technically, the male praying mantis’s life is cut short after the female bites his head off and eats him).

The point is that good things can happen once you’re ready. Call it simplistic, idealistic or whatever you like, but the fact remains — you can’t fight nature. Just ask Joan Rivers.

And once you’re open to the possibilities, you’re sure to find that there are plenty of fish in the sea. Okay, I’m gagging again.

Octo-P.S: About a month after the AP article was released, I decided to call the Alaska SeaLife Center to check up on the happy couple. And according to aquarium spokesman, Jason Wettstein, J-1 and Aurora are still going strong. Who knows, pretty soon they may be hearing the pitter-patter of a few thousand tiny feet.

What are you ready for?

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