G’day to you beautiful Island folk!
First and foremost, how cool is Neil the Seal rocking up on our shores and posing for all our photos? I’m so sad, I am yet to capture the handsome sea creature myself. I have tried to find him but gave up pretty quickly and relinquished to enjoying/ being jealous of it would make me very happy. Apart from that, I’m absolutely loving the Winter sun and its settings each evening.
Featured Image(above): Bella the Budgie
It is a little cool to be out 24/7 but I try to get out and about as much as I can to breathe in the fresh air. When the sky is this clear and the grass is actually green!! Aah, nothing a nice warm scarf and a little bit of movement of bod can’t fix. Speaking of animals bringing happiness…
So lately, because of recent personal pet situations, my mind has been on the role of animals in our day-to-day lives and how much we interact with them and sometimes, rely on them. Ever since The Beginning, animals have been an important part of creation and our existence. And we learnt early on in school that without each and every species, the cycle of life would be disrupted.
Lelo – The Superior Mother
How much more are they, though, then just another species? They are our friends. Just like that Michael Jackson song right? Good ol’ Ben. There has never been a stage in my life so far where I haven’t had an animal to care for and love. When I was born we had a gorgeous and elegant black, Russian Blue. Her name was Sootie and she lived until she was 18. Cool huh? Then, out of the tender-heartedness of, well, my heart, I accepted a tiny black and white kitten with a little white dot on the very end of her tail. So cute!
This was when I was in grade 4; I named her Lelo. She was going to be put down as her previous owners weren’t very good to her and I couldn’t handle that happening!! So I pleaded with my parents to keep her as kids do haha. Apparently Mum says we kept her because I, “Just wanted something to hold”. But I’m sure that was my sister that said that not me, and that was like, a decade earlier about another pet or baby or something! Anyway, I was so glad that we kept her because a year later she had two tiny little kittens: Tom and Eliza, respectively.
Tom came out just like his mother, and Eliza came out just like her father – Maine Coon – which is like a tortoise shell kinda colour. I still remember the day of their birth. So many memories have been made with these cats and other animals along the way of my growing up like budgies and fish. Memories like mother and two kittens all up a Christmas tree at once. Or when they would all come out for a random midnight walk with the whole family.
Eliza stretched out like ol’ Sphinxy. I guess she is royalty in my eyes!
Or the time when Eliza followed me all the way to the beach and back. Love it! I guess the reason I’m saying all this is because they really bring us so much happiness. Especially when we are good fur-baby parents to them as they reflect trust and appreciation back to us. For some, animals are a much-needed companion/refuge for lonely/hurting people (what’s dog backwards??!) And for others, they are literally their eyes and senses. They protect, comfort, entertain and love us.
I know my animals can’t read but shout out to Lelo, Eliza and my budgie Bella (who is still a little anti-social), Love you! I encourage all my lovely readers to look after your animals (if you have them) as best you can and make time to play with them and show affection to them. Especially if they are dogs with big hearts. Don’t work so hard that you’ve no time for them, make time!! They need you and get stressed without you. They are always there for us, let’s be there for them. And in saying that, how much more should we love and dote on our human companions. xo Until next time, Nikita
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