Pets As Healers

You have to be an animal lover to appreciate the wonder of animals and especially our household pets – whatever they are – cats, dogs, hamsters and guinea pigs, ferrets, parrots, canaries and finches. They bring love and beauty into our lives. They arouse our senses – touch, scent, sight, hearing — remind us of how we are connected to each other.

My two Siamese beauties are named Phoenix and Sedona, because after visiting Arizona and experiencing the beauty of the desert, the red rocks of Sedona, and the grandeur of the Grand Canyon, I had to hold on to the inspiration of these places, so foreign to my life in Washington, DC, and later Boston, MA.

What really matters? I think it is understanding our “relationship to the world.” As I wrote in my book, The Five Ways We Grieve, it is realizing our connectedness to all living things, and what our place is in the  universe.

Losing a loved one challenges this sense of who we are, and sets us on the path of finding our new identity. Our beloved pets can help us heal on this journey.

Have you had a pet that has helped you through difficult times? I welcome your comments.