Animals

My granddaughter got to meet a German Shepherd puppy yesterday when she got out of school.  He was on a leash held by the father of one of her classmates.  The puppy was so pleased to be at school.  He showed it by every move he made and by the cock of his head, the sharpness of his eyes and his ears which stood at attention.

He was adorable.

He kept stopping along the sidewalk to look at me.  I don't know why he thought I was interesting, but we had a moment.  I liked the dog.  It happens once in a while that I feel a connection to one of our beautiful living creatures.  Then when my granddaughter came out of school, she made a bee line towards the dog to pet its head.  The dog was absolutely happy at being surrounded by a bunch of kids, a good sign as to what kind of animal he's going to be.

When we got in the car, my granddaughter was telling me that the dog was one of God's living creatures. 

And then she said, "God must loves dogs a lot, because D-O-G is G-O-D backwards."

When you go to someone's house who has a pet, and the pet has obviously become a special member of the family, you can tell.  The family knows the pet, every nuance of its personality, its likes and dislikes, fears.  The family is respectful of the pet's fears, and helps the pet in a variety of different ways.  The family speaks to the pet in a loving manner with nicknames and gestures.

The family has stories to tell about the pet, usually very funny ones!! 

Getting to know a pet helps children learn how to know other people.  When you pay attention to your pet and spend time noticing little things, it carries over into the rest of life, does it not?

Sometimes when I'm cleaning the house and encounter some cat fur, my feelings are not quite so generous, but then I think -- what would our lives be like without the cats?

Not nearly as interesting or as full, I suspect.  And they are a good way for the rest of the family to get to know each other -- through meeting the cats, laughing at the cats, etc.

I'm always amazed when they show the cats and dogs on TV that are looking for a good home.  The price is usually $40, but there was one event this weekend for only $10 for a cat.  There isn't another choice you could make that brings as much joy and humor into a household as a pet.  And I know that it's not for everyone, and I respect and understand that.  Some days it's not so much for me either, but we shoulder on and better days come.

So today we go to Cleveland to get a rescued kitten and take it to its new "forever" home.

Wonderful!!!  I'm excited.