The Power of Pets
A few days ago, I felt nostalgic. I opened up my outdated music playlist from middle school, popped in my AirPods, and started scrolling back through my camera roll. I scrolled mindlessly for what seemed like an eternity, until something caught my eye.
It was a picture of my dog Cocoa, and as soon as I saw it, I paused. Memories of my her came flooding back to me, and a big smile appeared on my face.
When I was a kid and I had something on my mind, the first person I would talk to wasn’t a person. Instead, I would sit down with my dog and talk about my troubles. Even as a kid, I knew Cocoa wouldn’t be able to comprehend or give me advice or anything, but it was really sweet to just have someone who will be there and listen to you, without judging you for anything.
Here’s a fun fact about Cocoa. She was actually older than me. In 1999, my mom “adopted” her when she was just a puppy from the owner of a newsstand she often visited. I was born in 2003, so Cocoa was almost 4 years older than me.
Maybe it was just me, but I always felt like Cocoa did understand me. My grandpa also thought the same thing, as he would always tell me that Cocoa could understand us, she just couldn’t speak what she was thinking.
This wholesome nostalgic trip made me remember something important.
Pets really are special creatures. Unlike people, pets don’t judge you, they simply love you for who are. And I think that’s beautiful.
Pets appear in our lives to teach us the real meaning of love, and they leave us to teach us the real meaning of loss. The bond people have with with their pets is incredible, and so is the way you both support one another in life.
It’s a reality that we’ll most likely outlive our pets. So, as long as your pet is still around, value every second you spend with them. It’s important to always give them the attention they need and treat them with all the love you have to offer. As sad as this sounds, you never know when your last goodbye will be.
Cocoa sadly passed away in the summer of 2017. She lived a long (18 years!) and fulfilling life, and she brought smiles to everyone who had the privilege to meet her.
I wrote this article in remembrance of my dog Cocoa, and I wanted to end it by sharing some old pictures of her when she was still a puppy :)
