Even though I grew up with a dog, my parents were the main caretaker of Mac and so a lot of the responsibilities didn't fall on me. I was somewhat nervous to get Henry, especially since I was living in an apartment and I traveled a lot, but I went for it and he changed my life for the better... it sounds dramatic, but I could not be more sincere in that Henry is one of the best decisions I have ever made. He is truly my best friend.
Shop the Toys:
In honor of his 3rd year, I thought I would share some of Henry's favorite toys and items in case you need some last-minute dog gift ideas- all on Amazon! It is so important to monitor your dog at all times when they are playing with any toys- I watch Henry like a hawk! I wanted to highlight these Dog Wipes as they are plant-based, hypoallergenic, alcohol-free, paraben, and sulfate-free. Finding 'good' dog wipes was so important to me. Dduring the winter months, salt is really bad for a dog's paws but we also do not want him ingesting any salt (when he licks his paws) and these wipes clean his paws without making me worried he is ingesting anything bad from the wipes.
Plus, I thought I would share some of these lessons that Henry has taught me and how he has helped me to grow as a person.
'Nothing makes you smile more than looking into the face of a dog that loves you.' - Source
Unconditional Love.
I definitely knew what I was in for in terms of love because I loved Mac SO much...I still do. When he passed away, a part of me went with him. He was our family member and a hole was left when he passed away. Just like Mac, Henry is a part of our family. I love him so much it is truly indescribable. I love that Andrew and my family truly love him, too.
I also see the love that Henry has for me, Andrew, and the rest of my family. The joy he gets when he sees my mom is both hilarious and heartwarming.
Caretaker Instincts
I am not someone who is innately a caretaker. I don't really know how to describe it other than just saying my personality is not really that of a caretaker. With Henry, though, I find myself caring for his well-being in a way I never really thought was in me. On Henry's 1st anniversary of his gotcha day in 2018, we had an emergency situation with him and at first, I wasn't really sure what to do. He obviously cannot speak and it was very late on a Saturday night so no vets were open. I didn't want to make a big deal out of something that could have been nothing, plus emergency vets are so expensive, but I also was not about to risk his health. I was torn, but I made the decision to take him to the emergency vet that is open 24/7, and it turned out that I did the right thing. I can't describe the feeling that I had, but I knew deep down in my gut that something was wrong and taking him in was what needed to be done. Thankfully, all was fine in the end and we laugh about it now, but it was scary at the time. Dogs and all pets for that matter, cannot advocate for themselves and so I have really found myself making sure I am always advocating for him- whether in an emergency situation or even at our yearly vet visits.
'The world would be a nicer place if everyone had the ability to love as unconditionally as a dog.'- MK Clinton
There is joy in the every day.
I always knew Henry made me happy. That was never really in question, in fact, I've read that just petting a dog (doesn't even have to be your own) can help decrease anxiety and increase serotonin levels in the brain. This year has been really rough, but even on my worst days of 2020, I have always been able to find joy thanks to Henry. I know that sounds cheesy but it's so true.
The responsibility is not a burden.
People say that having a dog is a huge responsibility. I personally don't know if I would consider it that huge, though! I think if you have never had a dog before, then it's a much greater leap, so maybe that is what I am missing, but I really don't find Henry to require much day-to-day. Sure, I feed/walk/play daily with him, he goes to yearly vet checkups, and I make sure he has his medications and vaccinations and all of that, but I think there are a lot of much 'harder' responsibilities in life. I don't find any aspect of caring for Henry a burden. The only thing that can be tricky is making sure we have someone to watch Henry if we are traveling. We have it easier than many as we usually rely on my parents (so grateful). When we were going to be gone for 3 weeks on our honeymoon (RIP, honeymoon), we were so lucky to have my parents on deck to watch him for such a long period of time. If my parents are unavailable, we have one of Andrew's best friend's who watches him. We have not yet had to board him, but that's also always an option. One time, we couldn't find anyone else available (it was a December weekend before Christmas 2019 so everyone, even my parents were busy/out of town) and we had a wedding in Philly. So, I canceled our original hotel and found a dog-friendly hotel and we brought Henry with us. It took a bit of flexibility and time, but it always works out!
Selflessness is Important
I find myself putting Henry first in certain situations... which, if you don't have a pet, that might sound a little crazy!
Take nothing for granted.
You know that saying 'you don't know what you have until it's gone'. That is 100% not the case with Henry. I literally wake up every single day and thank my lucky stars for him! There are so many things I am thankful for each day when it comes to Henry. I feel lucky that he is in good health, I feel grateful that he is safe and out of the shelter he was in, I feel grateful for the joy and happiness he brings to my life, I feel so incredibly lucky that he is so well behaved and so loving. I have found so much to be thankful for in him!
1 comment:
Such a great post Sydney!! MY husband and I got a puppy this year (for my 30th birthday) and he has changed our lives and hearts. He is the best thing to happen to us - even my husband who never understood the love for a dog. But now he loves Ollie with all his heart and can’t imagine life without him.
Merry Christmas!!!
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