Relinquishing Your Feelings of Loneliness
A pet can be a companion like no other
“Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.”
– Mother Teresa
My family and my mom live in a cozy duplex.
Although I’m a caretaker at times for my mom, she can still be left alone, and she’s able to do most of her household chores.
I’m thankful she has her dog, Gidget, who is almost fourteen years old. There are days and nights when my mom is home for long periods by herself.
My mom has always been an independent woman until April of the year twenty-twenty. She had two mini-strokes which resulted in her having only partial eyesight in both eyes. She describes it as looking out of someone else’s glasses crossed-eyed. This is why I have to clean for her, be her eyes, helper, and driver at times.
If my mom didn’t have her dog, I feel she would be lonelier. My mom used to get in the car with Gidget to take a ride often just to get out of the house. Unfortunately, my mom is no longer able to drive.
Is a pet a good choice?
They say a pet can be a best friend, I agree with whoever they are. From dogs to cats, to snakes and rats, which is right for you?
It’s a big commitment but so worth it. If you’re feeling lonely it might help. However, when my daughter was five-years-old, I was going through a divorce and even she wasn’t the antidote for my loneliness. So, an animal isn’t always the right choice either.
This is why it’s essential to listen to your gut when choosing what kind or if a pet is right for you?
Do you have the:
- Time
- Patience
- Money for food, veterinarian cost, and unexpected expenses
- Love
- A good home and a name for your pet
If you answer no to any of these questions then in my opinion a pet would not be the best choice.
Should you get a pet?
If you can make a long-term commitment and have answered yes to the above questions, I say go for it!
Did you know a typical pet turtle can live to be fifty-five years old? Now that is a commitment more than most marriages last nowadays.
“The world would be a nicer place if everyone had the ability to love as unconditionally as a dog.”
— M.K. Clinton
What kind of pet is right for you?
This is my mom’s dog, Gidget. She is my bestie and a party animal too. She loves me more than her treats. Okay, maybe not that much.
We have a cat named, Bambino. The two of them have mutual respect for one another. They have never snuggled yet they get pretty close to each other.
Maybe Gidget knows me better than myself. Maybe she sticks to me like glue because I would be lonely without her. Although I said a pet isn’t always the antidote for loneliness, it might be the key to not becoming lonely in the first place.
“Pets bring vital energy to our homes and lives. Pets communicate many messages about love and connection. Care tenderly for all pets throughout their precious lives. The interspecies dance of love softens and expands the heart.”
— Laura Staley, Feng Shui Expert
Best friends for years!
They bring vital energy. Even though all mine do is sleep and eat.
Regardless, the true energy they do bring is calm, cool and collected.
I’m grateful for our pets and I want to thank Trista Signe Ainsworth and her team at Thank You Notes Publication for without them I would never have shared this story. Thank you.
Thank you, Lorena, of Sharing Randomly for this week’s theme about pets or animal stories:
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