How Has Your Pet Changed Your Life?
Pet Therapy Notes November prompt
In the spirit of November traditionally being a time when we slow down and reflect on the things we are grateful for, this month’s prompt challenges you to focus on how a pet — past or present and any species — has changed your life.
Isn’t it incredible to think about how if that one thing never happened you may not be the person you are today? What if that one pet never came into your life? Who would you be? What would you not have experienced? What lessons would you not have learned?
Pets transform our lives through the profound relationship we share with them. For me, my relationship with my first dog changed the trajectory of my life, and although I love my husband deeply, I’ve never been more connected to another being. After years of attachment issues, my dog instantly taught me to love.
My next dog was behaviorally challenged and impacted my life in a different way. She wasn’t my soul mate as my first dog had been — she was my special needs child, and far from the calming presence I had hoped (and assumed) she would be. Through this relationship, I learned patience and that all dogs aren’t the idyllic creatures we see in Hallmark movies.
The lessons are real and not always wrapped in a pretty bow. I want to hear it all…
