Maybe, because I care for my patients right in their own homes, it is abundantly clear to me that pet owners view their dogs and cats as true members of their families. In fact, most of my clients identify themselves as their pets’ mothers or fathers; and my messages often reflect that “Oliver’s mom” has called.
In our practice we concentrate on all the things we should do for our dogs and cats. But we don’t often register all the things they do for us. From getting us up off the couch to take a walk or smell the flowers, to sticking to schedules of feeding or care, they give our lives purpose and regularity, comfort and love. Not such a different message than that of a holiday designed to remember, with gratitude, being part of a family. With Mother’s and Father’s Days just around the corner, I’d like to suggest that along with our loving human families, we celebrate these holidays by also highlighting the special relationship that we have with our pets.
I’m not necessarily endorsing Hallmark Pet Cards for Mother’s or Father’s Day, but I am suggesting that we take a moment on these special days to recognize the marvelous, nurturing part our pets play in our emotional lives. When a tail wags with joy at our company, or we hear the purr of a living being who trusts and loves us, and we look into one another’s eyes and know that we are a team – it is as nurturing and important as anything human I could imagine. Pets are our families and we are theirs. And if that isn’t worth celebrating, I don’t know what is.
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