Pets Help to Open Our Hearts

People love to talk about their pets -- the happiness they enjoy from living with them and the entertainment value from watching them. The grief they feel when their pet dies or goes missing is deep and profound. The most interesting part of writing Open Your Hearts with Pets was learning the stories of other pet lovers and giving them the opportunity to share those stories with readers.

Most of those who responded to my request for stories had parrots or dogs, some had cats and a few horses. Many had multiple species of pets. Several respondents faced the daily challenge of a chronic illness and wanted it noted that their pet helped them greatly in facing this challenge and coping with a life that was not always easy. One of the questions I asked in the questionnaires that were sent was "How has your pet helped you to have a more open heart?" The feedback was wonderful and pet lovers were generous and open-hearted in their willingness to share with others how loving a pet had opened their heart.

One cannot consider how to have a more open heart without recognizing the signs of a heart that is less than open. Think of a door; it is not just open or closed, there are varying degrees of openness. Surely our hearts must be the same way.

Closed-heartedness (think of the Grinch whose heart was "two sizes too small") might creep in as a result of traumatic circumstances, illness, or when we feel broken-hearted and wounded. Think of a physical wound, inflamed and raw. Then, our energy is sapped as all resources are mustered to fight infection and rebuild new tissue. The new tissue may not look the same as what had been there "before," and scar tissue, a bit tougher, covers the wound. Perhaps our hearts and souls respond to trauma in a similar way.

If you have suffered the death of a close family member or friend, the loss of a job, the end of a marriage, or the challenge of a serious medical diagnosis, you may have experienced the numbness that comes with the shock of bad news. Life recedes. Happiness fades. Joy evaporates. Eventually, the heart and mind begin to believe that this horrible news is, indeed, true. Adjustments are made internally and externally to incorporate this truth into "life after."

There is no doubt in the minds of pet lovers: spending time with a pet is good for what ails us. Their unconditional love, their beckoning us to "stop and smell the roses," their funny antics and the way our pets draw others to us--all good medicine for our hearts.

Today, Valentine's Day, I celebrate and give thanks to the animals who have opened my heart. Some of them are featured here in photos.

1. With Tyler. Photo by Mark V. Williams

2. Sweet and Beautiful Farley

3. Gracie, our parrot

4. Jackie and Tyler on a hike.