Last week, I heard a talk given by the leader of our church. He challenged us to post only uplifting things, things for which we are thankful, and to use the hashtag, GiveThanks in our posts. The challenge is to last seven days. Today, is Day 4.
I chose pets.
I've not always been a pet guy. As little kids we had first a cat, Lucy (that ran away to the cat lady's house down the street...), then Waldo--a big black lab that was too much dog for my mom and three little kids.
We then got Tasha, a shih tzu/sneaky neighbor dog mix, and that was a wonderful pet for our family. Tasha lived for seventeen years. She survived my teenage years, my college years, and the first couple of years of my marriage. We all loved Tasha and it was bittersweet when we had to put her down. She was such a tough little dog, she could no longer walk when we had to make that decision.
My wife is a cat person, so we got cats. I have come to not only appreciate cats, but enjoyed them being around...except when they're kittens and the scratch up your arms and legs to the point where a person could play tic-tac-toe on the scratches if one wished.
The thing about pets is they become totally dependent upon their owners. Maybe that's why we love them so much (and why, at times, they can drive us crazy...). The world of a pet is defined by us humans. We--usually--dictate where they live, how much space they get, what they eat, and so forth. Maybe that's why they love us so much (and why, at times, we can drive them crazy...).
During the past couple of years, we had to put down a cat we rescued from the street. Gracie was a gift, a wonderful pet and companion. Then, our dog Patch was next. She was the dog that grew up with our kids. Absolutely gut-wrenching. The pain is in direct relation to what they mean to us.
We now have two cats and a dog. Tonight, my son's dog curled up at my daughter's feet. How special is that? It's just one reason why I'm thankful for pets.
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