I grew up without significant pets – we had a couple of parakeets over the years, as well as gerbils. And, oh yes, we also had a fish tank at one point. My mom, having given birth to seven hard-to-manage, messy, wiggly creatures, did not want anything else underfoot. I was allergic to cats anyway, and although I thought having a dog would be great, I can’t say that I pined away for one.
That changed when I moved, by myself (at the age of 22!), 2,600 miles away from my family to serve in the Air Force. I found Tobie, a little black cocker spaniel, and she helped me navigate life so far from home. Then Ernie, a black and white cocker, joined the family. It occurred to me a while back that I’ve spent nearly my entire adult life sharing that life with dogs. After Tobie and Ernie came Skyler, a black lab mix. Skyler died a little over two years ago, and since then I’ve been without an animal companion. I have mixed feelings about this. Certainly there is a lot of responsibility and a certain amount of mess associated with pets, but I sorely miss the companionship and unconditional love that flows in both directions between human and animal companions. Someday I hope to have a dog in my life again.
In the meantime, I get a lot of pleasure observing other people’s dogs. It’s a wistful pastime, for sure, but watching dogs and their humans walking together and interacting does bring my joy. And I’ve found something else that brings me joy, something I never considered before. Cats! My sister has a cat, Oscar, who is a character and a half. In my nightly talks with my mother, Oscar is frequently mentioned. Although my mom adores Oscar, he’s still, you know, an animal. She will pet him, she will praise him, feed him, let him in and let him out, but that’s where it ends. There will be no lap sitting, no jumping up on beds. Her relationship with Oscar makes me smile, and it makes me happy that she now knows the joy that having a pet can bring.
Have a wonderful weekend, friends. xoxo
