Casey the dog can't talk but he can still teach us humans a lot about life. Casey, along with my cats, Bo and Sammy; have shown me how important it is to express love, acceptance, kindness and appreciation to everyone I meet.
Casey is a big, brown Labrador retriever. Bo and Sammy are both black cats, who came from different litters. All three of them were adopted from our local humane society.
Be Kind and Loving
Casey greets everybody he meets by wagging his tail and licking their hands. He sometimes jumps up to hug people even though I am trying to break him of this habit. Casey loves everybody and is not afraid to show it.
Bo and Sammy express love and affection to everyone they meet, too. They'll rub their bodies against people's ankles. Sometimes, Bo and Sammy will nuzzle people's faces and purr. They never fail to greet anybody.
We humans are often in such a hurry and so busy that we don't greet people or even notice them. Sometimes, we're having a bad day and don't feel like smiling or saying hello to people. But If the animals can take the time to greet people no matter what kind of day they are having, why can't we humans do the same thing?
Don't Judge
Casey, Bo and Sammy don't care if you're a celebrity, a millionaire or an ordinary person struggling to pay his or her bills. Nor do they care what kind of clothes you wear, what kind of car you drive or what you do for a living. They won't judge you or criticize you like so many humans do.
You can make a mistake, have a bad day at work or catch the flu. Pets love you no matter what, and they never judge you. Casey will lick my hand, and the cats will nuzzle me if they sense I'm having an off day.
Appreciate the Small Things
Bo and Sammy are masters at appreciating the little things in life. They enjoy lounging in the sun on a warm day, playing with a cat toy or nibbling on kitty treats. It doesn't take much to make them happy.
Casey is also good at enjoying life's small pleasures. A belly rub, a walk around the neighborhood or a dog treat are some of the things that make his day. His tail wags as he expresses his joy.
So often, we humans complain about the smallest things: the weather, the traffic, the line in the coffee shop. We don't notice how good the coffee smells, how the sun breaks through the clouds after a rain storm and how good it feels to be driving down the highway when our favorite song comes on the radio. Why can't we humans be more like our animals and appreciate what we have no matter how small?
Take It Easy
Life today is stressful, fast-paced and hectic for us humans. There's too much to do and too little time to do it. We never take a minute to breathe, let alone sit down and relax.
Maybe we need to be more like Casey, Bo and Sammy and set aside time to relax. We may not have time to nap like they do but we can take a break sometimes. We can sit in the sun and feel the warmth on our face like Bo and Sammy do. We can sit down and be quiet just like Casey does.
We need to be more kind and less judgmental. We need to appreciate what we have and take some time to relax and enjoy our lives. We can learn so much from the animals in our lives even if they keep jumping up to hug everybody.
Sources:
My observations and experiences with my pets
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