join us on Tuesday, October 26th anytime between 8:00 and 10:00AM on the Central Park Mall, where Chaplain Peggy and I will be looking forward to meeting your animal friends, and sharing God’s blessing with them, as they continue to share it with us.
Have you ever stepped in dog poop? It’s a horrible, squishy sensation, typically accompanied by malodors and great difficulty to clean one’s shoe.
I miss her. I miss our four-legged friend who shared our home for almost 14 years. Jasmine, our sweet Pug, was named after the Disney Princess in the movie Aladdin. We chose her from the litter because she was round and puggly and playful and she was a great dog. We recently had to bear the heartbreak of saying goodbye to Jasmine as she struggled to breathe due to collapsing trachea, a common condition for Pugs. I’m a die-hard dog lover who has always had at least one and sometimes a few companions to grow old with. Sometimes non-pet friends wonder why we do it? Why is it, that even though we know all the work and responsibility involved, even though we know we will have to bear the eventual heartbreak of watching our pets grow old, even though we know we will someday lose them altogether-why, then, do we still regard the prospect of sharing our homes with cats or dogs (or fish, or rabbits, or what have you) with such unalloyed joy? Anatole France said, “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”
We have a special bond with our pets. They unconditionally love us. Who doesn’t love opening the door from a hard day to be greeted by a happy dog or a purring kitty? Pets make us healthier and happier. They become our companions, each having their own personality and enjoying certain pleasures. Jasmine loved to find a pile of laundry or anything available and she would climb on top and rummage around in it until she found a spot to sit. She would sit in front of me and whine until I would give her another treat. She had a favorite spot under the Christmas tree. I love hearing the stories of the pets who share your homes and I share the grief and devastation you feel when you lose your special family member. Will Rogers said, “If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die then I want to go where they went.” I believe we will see our animals again in the eternity of heaven so as hard as it is when they cross that rainbow bridge I am comforted by that bond of love which is never broken.*
You look around the Campus and many residents are walking their dogs or have pictures of their cats on their doors. Have you ever wondered why this is so important to them? There is so much you can learn from pets and they are great companions.
In the past 18 months, I’ve experienced the loss of two long time companions – Bonnie & Clyde. Two Labrador Retrievers that came into my life at 4 months old – rescued from a family that left them when moving out of a subdivision. The unconditional love these two had for me was overwhelming at times. Bonnie was my “howdy” dog – always social and wanted to meet and sit on the lap of any new person. Clyde was my protector and watched to see what people were doing around me to see if I needed to be rescued. I often wondered – like that recent movie – what they did when I left for work.
As puppies, I know they chewed everything and dug wonderful holes anywhere and wanted everybody nearby to know they were there by constantly barking when outside. What I learned from them once they matured, was so valuable that I wonder why everybody doesn’t have a pet.
What I learned:
Anytime we jumped into the car for a ride or destination like the woods or lake, they were so excited – couldn’t stop wagging their tales and yipping.
Ok so this was not so fun for me but they learned about the chewy texture of the irrigation sprinkler lines, the view without that tree branch, that they couldn’t dig all the way to China no matter how hard they tried, and what is inside that squeaky toy?
It never failed that the culprit for any damage, was the one that avoided me when I got home. But you deal with the deed and then bring them all in for a hug – not much you can do when it is several hours old anyway.
Caring for an injured animal completely tears you up and you want to do anything to make them well. And one that has had surgery and depends on you to be patient and kind with the healing is so grateful once it’s over.
Bonnie was so good at this and helped me to get over some shyness around new people. She was the epitome of “never met a stranger in her life” – everyone was welcome and a friend
The brother and sister bond that my dogs shared was easily opened up as a family unit to me. They would watch out for me and each other just like a great partnership. They even welcomed other dogs into our home for temporary shelter
It’s easy to always be nice to people and pets and hold in your anger or disappointment, but it’s better to work through it with discipline. Then everybody knows where they stand. I learned early that setting a routine helped the dogs understand when play time was and when it was serious time. They got to a point of anticipating the next activity because of the routine and finding comfort in it as well.
Wow – this is a big one. The two of them could easily sense when I was scared or upset or sad and rendered whatever support they could. This is a powerful reason most people love their pets.
Much like the point above, Bonnie was so good at cuddling with me when she sensed I needed it and me for them. Clyde would stay close to me and roll over for a belly rub – he was a sweetheart. After Bonnie passed, we got a new companion for Clyde. His name is Shayne. Clyde and Shayne were great companions – each understanding the other.
In his final days, Clyde went on a cross country adventure. My mom and I traveled by van to Illinois and back. He had a cozy place in the back seat to lay and was so sweet and good the whole trip. He had hip dysplasia and couldn’t get around very well and I knew leaving him with someone while I traveled would be a lot to ask. He was a trooper and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share that experience with him. A good friend once told me that your dog would rather be with you than staying behind and she was right.
I hope you can see what a wonderful experience it is to live with pets. It is a rich life with plenty of life lessons. If you have the chance, find one that you can love and provide a good home. Yes you have to be there to feed them, take them to the vet, pick up the droppings, and find a sitter from time to time – but so worth it.
I couldn’t imagine the past 14 years without them and now I have a new companion, Shayne, for some new adventures.
Pets can play an important role in our lives. As we grow older, knowing that you’re loved, or that someone cares about you, isn’t necessarily enough, and that need to feel needed-and appreciated for what you do-increases. Pets fulfill this need because they depend on their owners for care and attention. In return, the pets offer love and unqualified approval.
Studies have documented that petting a dog or cat lowers blood pressure in hypertensive patients and that older people show improved alertness when caring for a pet. Pets often seem to be especially valuable for some people experiencing major life changes, such as illness or the loss of a loved one.
Depression can often be avoided. Pets also encourage their owners to be more physically active by playing with them or taking them on a walk. Pets amuse us, make us laugh and improve our overall morale.
Pet owners tend to remain more interested in events in their community and in their surroundings. They are not as lonely as perhaps they once were. They prevent or reduce absent-mindedness or bewilderment by communicating the sense of time and by maintaining a rhythm of the day. They help us to “Forget oneself and one’s problems” and to “live one’s free time in a meaningful and interesting way”. Animals are wonderful, courageous little souls, and with that being said, I invite all of you to our first Resident Dog Show where residents will be showcasing their dogs to everyone. You will hear a little about each pet, how they ended up with them and what makes them special. We will have 1st, 2nd & 3rd place winners who will be judged by 3 residents. We hope to see you at the Dog Run/Park on Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 10AM to see some of the amazing pets that fulfill the lives of their owners. *
