The Pets In Our Lives: Where would we be without them?

“If you don’t own a dog, at least one, there is not necessarily anything wrong with you,
but there may be something wrong with your life.”
Roger A. Caras

by Skip Cohen
​
It's Sunday morning, and I'm always off track from business and marketing. I've got the pups on my mind this morning: Lucy's birthday was Friday, and Belle's is tomorrow. They're both four years old, and what a kick it's been having them in our lives.

We lost Molly the Wonder Dog in February of 2019, and like everyone who's ever lost a pet, I was a wreck for months. There was a hole in my heart that I didn't think would ever be filled. After a few months, Sheila and I started talking about getting another dog. I'd never had two pups before, but Sheila's wisdom kept me focused on the benefits of two dogs - they keep each other company, and she and I both would have "our" dog.

In November 2019, these two knuckleheads joined the family. A few months later, the pandemic hit, and thank God we had the pups to help us keep our sanity. We became a true dog family from training them to the two of them training us. They're part of our daily routine, as are the non-stop smiles and laughter.

What is it about our pets that allows us, even on the worst day, to smile and recognize how good life really is, even when we're most frustrated with the outside world?

“Animals have come to mean so much in our lives. We live in a fragmented and disconnected culture.
Politics are ugly, religion is struggling, technology is stressful, and the economy is unfortunate.
What’s one thing that we have in our lives that we can depend on?
A dog or a cat loving us unconditionally, every day, very faithfully.”
Jon Katz

​There's nothing earth-shaking in my thoughts this morning, just an incredible appreciation for the journey two pups have taken us on. There were moments in those first few months when Sheila and I would look at each other and mumble, "What made us think at our age we'd have the patients for this?" LOL Now, they're simply part of our lives, and the daily routine of time together just keeps making our life richer.

“Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.”
Orhan Pamuk

Wishing everybody a day ahead filled with time with good friends, family, and, of course, your pets. Go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I've always written about, and include at least one with your dog or cat. And to Lucy and Belle - Happy Birthday - there's no doubt in my mind one of you has been sneaking online to order elk bones and toys from Chewy. And no more outfits ordered from Amazon!

Happy Sunday or Monday if you're on the other side of the world!