(Main picture is of Dolly, a Mastiff Mix up for adoption now. For more information CLICK HERE).Every time I write for the Niagara Falls Humane Society, I try to write about something that I would want to read about.
I would look for something interesting and thought provoking. I read a lot, and often I get tired of the same old mumbo jumbo because many people have the same old boring thing to say all of the time. I’ve often asked for people to write in with things that they would like to hear or read about, but that’s been to no avail.
Seasonal Changes. This is an age old metaphor. Why is it still around? Because it’s effective and relatable. Like our feelings, thoughts and emotions. Like our irresistible love and draw towards animals when we make that eye contact and create that special connection that we can’t quite put words to. We create memories and are able to effectively recall these memories. Like the seasons. Life ebbs and flows like the tide rises and falls again.
Like the animals that come and go through the shelter doors. There was once this dog that my wife and I absolutely fell in love with. You could say we were head over heels for this little guy. His name is Gus, and I know a lot of our readers know exactly who I’m referring to. He was the highlight of the shelter for a long while – and then he found his Forever Home.
But it wasn’t our forever home, although I wish it was. At the time, our circumstances couldn’t fit Gus into our lives. If only the timing were now, but it is not. Gus belonged to a different family for a different purpose. I am ok with that. Why?
We have all lived to have wants and needs, but the wisdom to know that not everything was meant for us. If you haven’t noticed, there are many others around us. We learn this as we grow as children into adults. Reflecting, it’s very neat to see how things change in our lives. We are all very busy in our own ways with our own schedules.
It’s also nice to find time to stop, take steps back and grab a tea to reflect in silence. When we can do this, we can reflect on the seasons of our lives. There are storms, there are times we can go dancing in the rain, there are dry and wet and cold seasons in a variety of combinations. We all know this. (Pictured below, Bailey, a Spaniel Mix looking for a new home now. For more information CLICK HERE).
Sometimes it rains – and we all know when it rains, it pours. And thunderstorms. And trees fall down and wreck parts of our life. However – there is hope, because we are all still here, well and alive. We rebuild. We get up and dust ourself off (or remove the chunks of mud and turf from our teeth if you’re anything like me).
I can’t count how many times animals of mine have needed surgery. I’ve had animals and pets in my life for as long as I can remember. Toads, newts, birds, squirrels, cats, snakes, dogs, rabbits, horses – you name it. Over time, animals get hurt and they need help to get better. The unfortunate thing is that we don’t speak their language. When they get sick, they can’t tell us. Many animals we have as pets can be prey animals. When they get injured or sick, they hide it very well. In the wild, this is detrimental to their survival. In domestic situations, these habits continue, and it’s difficult for us as pet owners to see.
Without a proper channel of communication, things get distorted. Have you ever played the telephone game? What starts as “Harry wants Sally’s phone number” ends up as “Tommy’s father just got arrested for murder.” When we can’t communicate properly, the station is lost and we don’t receive the messages. Animals don’t understand when we have to cut them open and remove a tumor, sow together stitches on a deep wound, or drill metal plates into a broken bone. We have all the best intentions to help heal them, but all they feel is pain and confusion as they wonder why we are doing this to their ouchy.
With that said, lets apply this to our own lives. When we feel sad, depressed, lonely and rejected we don’t hear the right signals and we misinterpret things. Don’t fool yourself, we all can relate. Know that you are not alone with these feelings – we have all had them and at times have had to suffer through very bad times. If you’re going through this right now, the best thing to do is to let someone know – talk about it and get it out. It’s important to do this with someone who trust as I’ve seen people taken advantage of when they are in a rough spot. (Pictured below, Bones, a Mastiff mix up for adoption now. For more information, CLICK HERE).
Think again about how those animals feel as our vets perform surgery. Relate that to those feelings we feel when we go through something discouraging, when we are let down or experience a sudden and drastic change of life circumstance. Just like that dog who’s been stitched up, healed and scarred, we are also the same with our emotional wounds. We carry those emotional scars just as much, if not more, than we carry the physical scars. It takes emotional surgery to help us get to the next chapter of our life. Through suffering we find strength we didn’t know existed and we harness this new found strength to become better people than when we started. In time we strive to find a balance of self care in all areas. (Pictured below, Meatball a Lab Mix, for more information CLICK HERE).
And now I can’t help but offer my cheap plug for our volunteering department. We are looking for you to join our team. Over the past little while we have been able to build up quite the strong team of writers for our many articles released weekly. Want balance? Come volunteer! How? We need help with dog walkers, cat attendants, picture takers, album makers, help with social media and event organizers. We can use your help and talents. When I started volunteering, all I did was show up. With time I harnessed my skills and talents to benefit and help the shelter and our animals – and you can too! I hope to see you sometime soon.
This week’s article submitted by Christopher Dalton
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