As a teenager, I had a dog named Misty. She was a beautiful Weimaraner.  I think my oldest brother brought her home as a puppy to be trained as a bird-hunting dog. He built a “pen” for her in the backyard with a wooden doghouse and a concrete pad, maybe an eight to ten-foot area within a fully enclosed chainlink-fenced cage.

I felt so bad for her. I asked my parents if she could stay in the house, but they said no. We had a beagle years earlier who was a house dog and part of the family. I couldn’t understand why it wasn’t okay for Misty to come live in the house. It broke my heart.

So, whenever I could, I took Misty into the woods alongside the Susquehanna River, for walks, with me on my paper route, and to other woods around the area. I did my best to give her a good quality of life, but I was just a kid. I blamed myself for years for not being able to protect her. My beloved cat Carlyle, found in the woods as a tiny kitten who followed me everywhere, you guessed it, followed us. I wrote songs in the woods. Nature recharged my weeping soul.

I’d tell Misty, “I wish you could live in the house” and “I’m sorry.” Misty and Carlyle were my best friends. I felt immense love from them. I was struggling in life, and they made it a little easier to cope. I could be me, and they wouldn’t hurt me. Even though my friends didn’t talk, their behavior and eyes told me everything I needed to know.

The connection we have with our pets is amazing if we choose to see it. When you think about how dogs run up to us, tails wagging like a fan blade on high speed, thrilled to see us, we’re just as happy to see them! Could you imagine if a human being greeted us like that? We’d think the elevator doesn’t reach the top floor! Haha

Our pets, our beloved best friends, seem to live as part of ourselves. Stevie, our female cat, had the air conditioning on in the warm weather when I was at work and had a heated bed for those chilly nights. She was my sidekick, and I didn’t think I could love another cat after Carlyle died. (Carlyle died of feline leukemia. I was not home when he passed; I was away at Mansfield University.)

There I was with a cat sleeping on my printer as I wrote Magic in the Snow, a young adult novel, talking to her here and there, annoying her nap. I’d say, “Oh, boy this is giving me the chills!” or “If I take this chapter out, it’ll still make sense.”  She’d open one eye, yawn, and go back to sleep. Haha! No in-depth conversations going on, haha! I spoke to my furry friends as if they understood every word, and I believe they do understand and can pick up on our emotions.

But when they leave us, part of ourselves gets broken, and a fissure remains in our hearts from the loss. We may think we could never love another animal like that again, but we do. We get another furry guy or gal (or not furry if that’s what you love), love it just as much, and forget that their lives exist in a small fraction of our lifespan. We give it our all while they’re here, and there’s no thought of such nonsense. We enjoy the moments we have with them.

Having a pet gets us to give away what we need the most to feel happy – love. And we get it back tenfold. I don’t know about you, but I felt calm and more relaxed when I petted my furry one. Doing that mindless motion seemed to lull me into a calm state. I mean, who can be grumpy petting a dog or cat? Firstly, no one, because an animal would sniff that low-energy mood and steer clear, and secondly when you’re grumpy, you don’t feel like petting an animal.

We feel good just being around our pets. Positive energy comes from them, and they can help us feel happy, but I think we have to be in tune with it. Look at how we ooh and ah when we see adorable pet photos or laugh at a silly animal video; seeing them makes us feel lighter and better. Isn’t that amazing? I’d like more of that, please!

The next time you look at your pet, and they look back at you, you’ll smile. You will unless they did something wrong. Then they’ll give you the boo-boo face, you’ll be mad for a minute, and then all is right again. Wow, that’s some great love. No conditions. No judgment. Just be you and kind and you’ve got a loyal buddy.

Our fur babies are unique and precious. Please treat them with kindness, which you’ll get in return – with lots of love too!

Thank you for reading.

To a life full of fun and furry friends,

Francesca