Learning Unconditional Love From Pet Adoption
Rick London
With humans, unconditional love seems to need to be earned, and that in itself is a dichotomy; it is conditional if it has to be earned. Why is it so hard for humans to purvey real love these days without strings attached. Maybe we've had the wrong teachers. They are out there. A lot of them. One just need find them.
But when it comes to "leaving the cleavage" of mama, it's a rough world out there. We may find glimpses of love from our mate, and sometimes a lot more than glimpses. Even the best of relationships and marriages can have "conditions".
Pet care can be a lifesaver. Not just for the pet but for the owner, especially for the owner. Sounds strange, I know, but it is so true. They teach us something we cannot learn anywhere else. Unconditional love; that we can pass on to other humans. It works. Try a relationship before owning a pet, during, and after. You will notice dramatic changes in the dynamics of your human relationships, whether they be intimate or casual friends.
If you don't think we learn it from them, think again. That is one of the few if any places we do learn such a wonderful way to live. We learn tolerance, patience, forgiveness and so much more.
I will give a silly example but think about it. More often than not, we have our pets spayed or neutered, which is a smart thing, unless we are breeders of them.
But still, dogs are man's best friend Can you imagine having the same procedure done to your own human best friend, and he or she come home and lick you in the face the next day wagging his/her tail and wanting nothing but your love or attention? I know that is a bit far-fetched, but it is what happens with animal-human dynamics. No matter what we do, they love us. When we love them, they love us even more. Don't believe it? Simply try it.
A dog (and even a cat) loves you simply for being you. There is an old Irish prayer, "Lord, please make me half the man my dog thinks I am".
And if you think a dog or cat will love you unconditionally, you can take that a step further. Try adopting one from your local shelter. Cats and, it seems especially dogs, have a keen 6th sense and memory that is better than an elephant. They will appreciate you and show you a kind of love you've never had, simply for saving them. And believe me, they know. I don't know how but they do and remember it forever.
I just lost "Thor", my mixed breed that I found in the woods in rural Ms. He looked a lot like Benji. That was 12 years ago. He lived, the vet believes, to be almost 22 years old. Ironically, the first Benji, (there have been more) was found not far from where I found Thor.
After caring for this dog for several years, I noticed passersby to be much more pleasant to me. I thought it was because I had such a cute friendly people-loving dog. Maybe that was a part of it, but the major part of it was Thor had taught me something I had never experienced before, unconditional love like I'd never seen. That dog loved me no matter what, and I could tell in his face he wanted me to "pass it forward". I did.
Thor became my baby and I dstill think of him often and grieve. I also remember the happy healthy times which were most of the time. I fed him the b.a.r.f. diet only and plenty of herbal tinctures. I will soon adopt or find another dog and know that I will experience this most unique phenomena that can be found nowhere else. What a blessing this is to anyone.
Author Rick London is a cartoonist who created Londons Times Cartoons. He focuses a great deal of his work on animal-related cartoons, particularly dogs and cats and manufacturers funny gifts and collectibles with their images. One of his stores that features such dog and cat products as tshirts, casual wear, mouse pads, aprons, hoodies and more is the Rick London Wear online store, established 1997. A percentage of each sale goes to benefit various animal groups and causes.
http://www.ricklondonwear.com/ For Exclusive Rick London Pet Cartoon Gifts Click Here And Help An Abandoned Animal
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