I am grateful for any animal that is able to be a pet. Pets are amazing because they are “life long” companions that practice true unconditional love. Not only are they companions, we can also learn from them. Life (to me) is not about flashy things and working hard, life is about enjoying the moment/time w. friends and loved ones. It is as simple as meeting together and eating however we have creative thinking and tend to over use it in a ways that impact our wellbeing; such as over analyzing behaviors and making assumptions, etc. As human beings we produce a way of living based off of our emotions and our emotions are usually changing. Animals such as pets and wild animals remind me of the simple way of living. I am extremely grateful to have animals around me.
My wife and I had to put down our eleven-year old golden retriever this spring. For me, Honey was an embodiment of gentleness and patience, and she taught me to bring joy rather than competition my play. – On her passing, a friend wrote me, “It’s not logical, but every dog is the best there ever was.” He wrote it for my comfort, without irony. And I believe he’s right.
My little guy Jack .
He was 15 yo ( westie ) and headed to the Rainbow bridge last December .
We had a great journey together .
He was my soul dog .
Still so painful at times yet I know he will be waiting for me at the bridge .
It’s what keeps me going ♥️
Wish you could meet Junebug, Hers is so naughty, she’s a tomboy and races through mud puddles after each bath. I says Hers because Hers is multifaceted. Hers is crazy at times and makes me chase Hers every night in a game of tag, I am 60ish and this can be exhausting. Such a character, Hers likes to pretend she is a wild pony, bucking and running wild for no good reason, always makes people laugh at us. She only weighs 7 lbs but thinks she is a bad axx, no matter how big the dog Hers will rule the yard, they just don’t know what to do with Hers. Have to give Hers credit where credit is due, she politely laughs at every bad joke I have ever told Hers. Mostly she just loves me, loves me because that is what doggies do.
My gorgeous little Kelpie girl Bella (Bel), an Australian working dog. She was a rescue a couple of years ago and is doing a wonderful job with me. I am also very fond of The Beatles, the Eagles, and even Snoop Dog…
I am grateful for the cat who comes to visit my beloved sister. They both were curious about the other, the cat loved to be fed, and my sister loved to feed him, to see him, and slowly he allowed her to stroke him, and then off he was again. Slowly, they got accustomed to each other, and by now, they both take a nap on her sofa, the cat on a cushion next to her, purring in comfort, and my sister petting the cat, or both falling asleep. I was happy and grateful when my sister told me about it.
I am grateful for all animals as I feel they teach us so much, if only/ as we learn and practice listening, attending, respecting, and learning to be in ‘right relation’ with the animals, who and how they are, their habitat and needs.
Dogs, cats, squirrels, raccoons, birds, occasional horses, sea otters and seals, spiders, wasps, bees, mosquitoes are most present on my path.
Thank you for this question and each thoughtful answer. I will pay more attention today with openness and curiosity!
There are so many animals for which I am grateful, and I would include in this insects, fish, microbes, birds, spiders. I’ve thought about this all morning and it is so difficult to choose one! But I decided to share a little frog that I found in my garden on the farm last year. The farm is a reclaimed farm, that until 2016 had been a traditional, rented field farm, that had alternated between GMO corn and GMO soy. When my friend purchased it the land was dead-dead! There were no insects, birds, animals, and even weeds were rare because of the glyphosate. It was brown and bald and dead. He has a satellite photo of it at the time, and it is 40 acres of brown. He imported lots of compost, aerial planted cover crops, and brought in animals for manure and bees to pollinate. He offered to me last year the former deadest spot on the farm, which he had topped with a few inches of compost in the previous two years, which had settled down to about 3 inches. And I grew during covid year when we could not get ANYTHING, not even compost or leaf mold or manure because it was shut down time. Just the seeds I already had and my own labor with the help of my friend and his wife, until they had their lovely baby in May. When in August I found this little frog hiding in the beans I was ecstatic.
You see, frogs are among the most fragile of our land animals, when it comes to pollution and chemicals. Frogs are sensitive to them, and they also need food – insects. The insects in turn need healthy microbial soil life. This little frog, to me, was symbolic of the success of reclaiming the land. I took a photo. If you would like to see him, please drop into the lounge under “connect” in the menu. I will put a photo of my crops that year, too.
I have a frog that hangs out on my bedroom window screen each night. Just yesterday, I saw 4 on my lanai screens. I love reading all your stories Holly, thank you.
Michele, that is so sweet! They must feel your gentle spirit. 😊
It is so rare that I see frogs, but at this time of year, at night, in fact this very moment, I can hear “tree frogs” peeping to each other in the trees!
I’m grateful for my dog, Ginger, who has only been in my life for about a year. She truly shows what unconditional love looks like. She has brought joy, laughter, and even frustration into our home, but I can no longer imagine life without her.
I am grateful for butterflies. They undergo change and metamorphosis. They may sometimes doubt whether they’ll ever shine and be as beautiful as others, but with the patience and their focus to survive, beauty and joy and are waiting for them. Butterflies inspire people, every person has different phases of life. we all have a moment to shine. and we are all beauty.
My beautiful, sweet, fun-loving tuxedo kitty, Mistletoes. She was such a joy. She went over rainbow bridge 2 months ago and I miss her terribly. I am grateful for how she blessed my life and loved unconditionally!
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WHAT IS AN ANIMAL THAT I AM GRATEFUL FOR? WHY?
I am grateful for any animal that is able to be a pet. Pets are amazing because they are “life long” companions that practice true unconditional love. Not only are they companions, we can also learn from them. Life (to me) is not about flashy things and working hard, life is about enjoying the moment/time w. friends and loved ones. It is as simple as meeting together and eating however we have creative thinking and tend to over use it in a ways that impact our wellbeing; such as over analyzing behaviors and making assumptions, etc. As human beings we produce a way of living based off of our emotions and our emotions are usually changing. Animals such as pets and wild animals remind me of the simple way of living. I am extremely grateful to have animals around me.
My wife and I had to put down our eleven-year old golden retriever this spring. For me, Honey was an embodiment of gentleness and patience, and she taught me to bring joy rather than competition my play. – On her passing, a friend wrote me, “It’s not logical, but every dog is the best there ever was.” He wrote it for my comfort, without irony. And I believe he’s right.
My sister’s Bichon Frise, Noel, who had to be put down today. She and Noel shared fifteen years of loving companionship and I’m so grateful for that.
My dog. He soothes me and many others who need it. He’s like a working dog that way.
My little guy Jack .
He was 15 yo ( westie ) and headed to the Rainbow bridge last December .
We had a great journey together .
He was my soul dog .
Still so painful at times yet I know he will be waiting for me at the bridge .
It’s what keeps me going ♥️
Wish you could meet Junebug, Hers is so naughty, she’s a tomboy and races through mud puddles after each bath. I says Hers because Hers is multifaceted. Hers is crazy at times and makes me chase Hers every night in a game of tag, I am 60ish and this can be exhausting. Such a character, Hers likes to pretend she is a wild pony, bucking and running wild for no good reason, always makes people laugh at us. She only weighs 7 lbs but thinks she is a bad axx, no matter how big the dog Hers will rule the yard, they just don’t know what to do with Hers. Have to give Hers credit where credit is due, she politely laughs at every bad joke I have ever told Hers. Mostly she just loves me, loves me because that is what doggies do.
I love cats. They’re everything rolled into one. Graceful, beautiful, ferocious, amusing, intelligent, loving, but can be a tad bit vengeful.
My gorgeous little Kelpie girl Bella (Bel), an Australian working dog. She was a rescue a couple of years ago and is doing a wonderful job with me. I am also very fond of The Beatles, the Eagles, and even Snoop Dog…
I am grateful for the cat who comes to visit my beloved sister. They both were curious about the other, the cat loved to be fed, and my sister loved to feed him, to see him, and slowly he allowed her to stroke him, and then off he was again. Slowly, they got accustomed to each other, and by now, they both take a nap on her sofa, the cat on a cushion next to her, purring in comfort, and my sister petting the cat, or both falling asleep. I was happy and grateful when my sister told me about it.
I am grateful for the birds that I see outside my balcony. I am grateful for their chittering songs. I am grateful for their presence.
I am grateful for all animals as I feel they teach us so much, if only/ as we learn and practice listening, attending, respecting, and learning to be in ‘right relation’ with the animals, who and how they are, their habitat and needs.
Dogs, cats, squirrels, raccoons, birds, occasional horses, sea otters and seals, spiders, wasps, bees, mosquitoes are most present on my path.
Thank you for this question and each thoughtful answer. I will pay more attention today with openness and curiosity!
Thank you, dear KC., for your kind and thoughtful reply. It teaches me, again. Thank you dearly.
🙏🏻
There are so many animals for which I am grateful, and I would include in this insects, fish, microbes, birds, spiders. I’ve thought about this all morning and it is so difficult to choose one! But I decided to share a little frog that I found in my garden on the farm last year. The farm is a reclaimed farm, that until 2016 had been a traditional, rented field farm, that had alternated between GMO corn and GMO soy. When my friend purchased it the land was dead-dead! There were no insects, birds, animals, and even weeds were rare because of the glyphosate. It was brown and bald and dead. He has a satellite photo of it at the time, and it is 40 acres of brown. He imported lots of compost, aerial planted cover crops, and brought in animals for manure and bees to pollinate. He offered to me last year the former deadest spot on the farm, which he had topped with a few inches of compost in the previous two years, which had settled down to about 3 inches. And I grew during covid year when we could not get ANYTHING, not even compost or leaf mold or manure because it was shut down time. Just the seeds I already had and my own labor with the help of my friend and his wife, until they had their lovely baby in May. When in August I found this little frog hiding in the beans I was ecstatic.
You see, frogs are among the most fragile of our land animals, when it comes to pollution and chemicals. Frogs are sensitive to them, and they also need food – insects. The insects in turn need healthy microbial soil life. This little frog, to me, was symbolic of the success of reclaiming the land. I took a photo. If you would like to see him, please drop into the lounge under “connect” in the menu. I will put a photo of my crops that year, too.
I have a frog that hangs out on my bedroom window screen each night. Just yesterday, I saw 4 on my lanai screens. I love reading all your stories Holly, thank you.
Michele, that is so sweet! They must feel your gentle spirit. 😊
It is so rare that I see frogs, but at this time of year, at night, in fact this very moment, I can hear “tree frogs” peeping to each other in the trees!
I’m grateful for my dog, Ginger, who has only been in my life for about a year. She truly shows what unconditional love looks like. She has brought joy, laughter, and even frustration into our home, but I can no longer imagine life without her.
I am grateful for butterflies. They undergo change and metamorphosis. They may sometimes doubt whether they’ll ever shine and be as beautiful as others, but with the patience and their focus to survive, beauty and joy and are waiting for them. Butterflies inspire people, every person has different phases of life. we all have a moment to shine. and we are all beauty.
I have zebra butterflies that love my firebush:)
My beautiful, sweet, fun-loving tuxedo kitty, Mistletoes. She was such a joy. She went over rainbow bridge 2 months ago and I miss her terribly. I am grateful for how she blessed my life and loved unconditionally!