Pets and People

One of the things I see in my business is a very close emotional attachment for a pet. That’s hard for some people to understand. However, when it comes time to put a beloved pet to “sleep” people frequently break down in tears and say that the emotions are so tough that they will never get another pet… they just can stand to be hurt that way again.

I think I see something similar in people. They reach an age where they have lost their parents, their spouses, perhaps a child or two and they just shut it down. The emotional investment is too tough, they seclude themselves and they are just waiting to check out of this world and inherit eternal life.

In the dog and cat world I always try to remind people about the joy they had with their pets when they were puppies and kittens and all the things that made that relationship so precious. And how that relationship kept them from being… alone.

In the Christian world we have a responsibility to live unselfish lives and to have an impact in the lives of others. An older person has a wealth of information gained from life’s experiences that they can share with a younger person. It is our Christian responsibility to share that knowledge and the relationship gained from that sharing… is precious.

I see a lot of funerals for older people and the only ones in attendance are older people. I want to see some funerals for old people that are attended by a bunch of weeping and sobbing young people.

Pets are God’s creation and his gift to us. Get a pet but don’t let that pet be a substitute for the affections that we should be sharing with others.