Ode to Our Animals

I can't imagine having to endure these past 6 years or so since the onset of my chronic migraines without the laughter, love and companionship of my pets (aka my babies). I've seen the stats before about how petting an animal helps us to produce positive chemical reactions in our bodies. They can lower stress and help us to increase our activity level. Based on my personal experiences, this is all true. My pets have made a huge difference in the quality of my life.

Ode to Lucy: Lucy was my husband's dog when we first got together. She was the kind of dog who was fiercely loyal to her owner and spent a great deal of time and energy making sure nobody else got too close. Frankly, she didn't care for other people at all. For some reason she liked me from day one. It was like she knew we were going to be a family.

When I had to stop working, Lucy and I grew very close. We were together all the time. She seemed to know that I was fragile and was always very careful with me. She even took it upon herself to make protecting me her number one job. I remember when my mom came to visit after I had surgery a few years back. Lucy was okay with her stopping by but made sure to place herself between my mom and I - getting angry if she got to close. Obviously, I didn't need protection from my mom but everyone agreed they appreciated her level of loyalty.

She was such a sweet dog. So smart. So loyal. So loving. She certainly made all those long hours when my husband was working much brighter. I still miss her. I think I always will.

Ode to Rupert: Rupert is the mini rex rabbit we adopted about a year and a half ago. He's super cute - I mean he's a rabbit. He sits quiet and unassumingly just off to the side of all the activity. If you didn't know better you might think that is all he is. But rabbits are quite intelligent and Rupert is certainly evidence of that. He knows exactly what's going on. He knows what he likes, what he wants, what he doesn't like and what he doesn't want.

Some might say he is high maintenance but I say he's full of personality. He makes me laugh and keeps me challenged. For example, he doesn't like to be picked up but on occasion we have to pick him up to give him medications or clip his nails. Basically you have to figure out a way to trick him and pick him up. But each trick only works once. You just can't fool him twice. Sometimes he figures out what you're up while your just thinking about it. Make no mistake, he doesn't miss a thing. He knows exactly what's going on and he has an opinion about all of it.

Ode to Gypsy: Gypsy joined our family this past summer and quickly wrapped us around her little paw. She is the quintessential lap dog, full of love and oh so very tired. She looks up at you with those great big ears, her big eyes welling up, her little tongue sticking out, her one paw lifted up and your heart just melts. All she wants is to be snuggled up beside me, preferably under a blanket. And that's pretty much how it goes most of the time.

Her constant presence is so comforting. She's there if I want to pet her. She's always willing to snuggle up and nap if I need to lay down. She's so happy to see me when I come home and she's even happier when I just stay home and hang out with her.

She's so small and so cute that everything she does is cute. I love her cute little prancing walk and the way she making little cooing sounds when she's snuggling up. I love the way she twirls when she gets excited and how she bounces with Rupert.

The fact is that our pets are part of our family. We love them. We want them with us wherever we go. They Lift our spirits. They have enriched our lives and have been the best therapy I've tried.