WHAT MY PETS HAVE TAUGHT ME ABOUT LOVE

Today I thought it would be a great idea to share with everyone what my animals have taught me about love. Throughout my life I've had several animals. I've had cats, dogs, fish, rodents, and I've had many of them too. I remember some of them but I don't remember most. Mainly though, as always, my lessons of love have came from Beau. I often find myself explaining to someone why I talk or post so much about Beau and not about my other two pets that I live with. I love all three of my animals unconditionally. But, I've never been able to call one mine. And just mine. We've always had family dogs in my houses growing up. That was perfectly fine with me to, we shared them and I was too young to have that kind of responsibility anyway. When I got Beau he was just mine. Shayne and I adopted him together but he spent the bulk of his first two years in my house with me. I loved Tinkerbell, I love Gracie, and I love and adore Lilly. But the love I have for Beau is just different. I love them all equally, but for Beau I have a different kind of love. My love for him is a lot like my Mom's love for Jax was. Or how Shana loves Jazzy. Its our baby. He is literally my child.
Out of 100% honesty, if I would've ended up having a child at 16-17, it would be Beau. I think Beau is literally my child, instead of having a human one I had Beau. I really don't know how to describe it though. Maybe you guys will understand what I'm trying to say! But, without making you wait any longer, here are 16 things Beau and other pets of mine have taught me about love.


1. Love is Patient.

Puppies will be  puppies. There were many, many times that this was my reality when Beau was "Baby Beau". From tearing up everything I had just spent nearly $200 on, and ruining my comforter at 3 am when he exploded from the rear, I was patient. I didn't yell at him, I wasn't mean. I knew that I had to be patient and loving with him. Because, he was literally a baby...they just don't fully understand what they did. Especially when you don't catch them in the act. Trust me, Beau has had his fair share of spankings and he still has to receive them sometimes because he just thinks he can get away with being naughty. 

2. Love is Kind.

Even if you don't like the cat, you have to be nice to it. Shayne learned this one too. Nobody was thrilled about my decision to bring in an extra fur child in to our family...but I had to. We are all practicing being kind to Gracie { we aren't mean to her AT ALL, cats are just different than dogs }. Lilly has a small humping problem with cats, luckily, she is not attracted to Gracie. And Lilly and Beau are very sweet to her actually. That has taught me that sometimes things happen and people are added and sometimes taken away but no matter what you have to be kind. Your love has to be kind. Gracie lost her best friend, and she needs our kindness and love to heal her. I don't care what you say, animals mourn over the deaths of their friends. I've now witnessed this twice.

3. It does not envy.

The constant battle of who gets the most attention, and who gets the most kisses...who gets pet the most...doesn't phase these two at all. Like I said before, Beau is my entire world, and no matter if I'm giving him more attention, or Shayne is giving Lilly more attention...they don't envy each other. Beau wants attention from everyone, all the time. So he is a bit different, but they don't ever get mad or aggressive towards each other when they want to be loved or shown affection. You can't envy someone else's love because all love is different.

4. It does not boast.

Every pet I've ever had came with a guilty conscious...they don't walk around thinking they are the best or the coolest dog on the block. They do something bad, tuck their tails, lower their heads and pee themselves. Every dog I've ever owned has never walked with a sense of entitlement. I do think my rescued ones are the furthest from walking with entitlement, but even our purebred dogs don't act that way.

5. It is not proud

Much like the last lesson, they aren't really proud of anything either. Sure, they get super excited when you get happy because they did something correctly, but they don't really know that. They aren't proud of themselves at all. 

6. It does not dishonor.

 

No matter what silly things I've done, and no matter what I've made them go through for a cute picture...they ever bring a sense of shame or dishonor to me. They may not like being dressed up like bumble bees, lambs, babies, or getting their nails painted. But, they never make me feel bad for it either.

7. It is not self-seeking

I think animals are the most selfless creatures on the planet. They strive to make you happy and to make you know they love you more than they love themselves. They love us no matter what we do.. They don't seek out accomplishments for themselves, and they don't do things to better themselves...Animals have taught me that you have to seek success and happiness as a team. If you don't do it together, you'll never get it done. 

8.  It is not easily angered

"Okay mom, just one more picture..." these last few have been quite similar...My pets { minus Tinkerbell } have never gotten mad at me for anything. They love endlessly, even if you are dressing them up like a triceratops. 

9. It keeps no records of wrongs.

No matter what has happened to them, they want to love. You can be broken, terrified, afraid and alone but you have to still love. No matter what. Love the ones who loved you first. Don't hold grudges, you may never forget something traumatic that happened to you, but you have to forgive and love. I have to work on this every single day. Many people have said things to me that are just so wrong, assuming they know my life and don't trust me as an adult...but I have to let it go, and love them. I'll prove them wrong, and I know it, so there is no sense in holding something over them

{ Not my picture }

10. Love does not delight in evil.

Many people would say, Tinkerbell was pure evil. I think she was just sassy. Sure, sometimes she attacked for no reason and growled at the vet like a demon. But I don't think she was totally evil. tinker bell loved in her own way. She loved Gracie so much, and Gracie loved her...and I totally know that Tink loved my mom. I could tell that she did. Love can't happen where evil lurks, and I know Tinkerbell loved. I've seen some evil things, not many, but some, and there was no love in them. You can't love someone who is evil, because they aren't capable of loving. 

11. Love rejoices with the truth

Maggie, Maggot, or Margaret, has taught me many many things. The truth is, pit bulls are the sweetest animals I've ever met. This gentle giant may accidentally step on your toe, but she'd never do anything to harm anyone. I think she rejoices in the fact that we trust her size, she knows she is huge, and she knows that we love her. Even if she wants to be like Jazzy and sit on the couch like a lap dog. She knows she will take up more space, but she rejoices that we don't allow one dog and not the other to do so. She loves because we trust her...a lot of people give pits a bad reputation...Maggie probably doesn't know that, but the thats the truth. I rejoice though, because Maggie has proven that unrealistic stigma wrong.

12. Love protects.

This one here, my little tater tot, Jazzy, has proven to me countless times that no matter how small and chubby you are you can be the best guard dog there is. I've never seen a dog run and bark so fast to protect the two little puppies my grandma adopted. A dog somehow found its way into her house and jazzy, not even knowing these two puppies, protected them to the point where her and the other dog were fighting. She hardly knew them and she loved them so much to risk her safety. This dog was a lot bigger than her, and it was just walking around but she was definitely looking out for those puppies. If you have love for something, you protect it at all costs, and love will protect you.

13. Love always trusts.

It had to be hard for Lilly, well, we know it was hard- to go from a huge yard to a small apartment. We know it took a toll on her happiness, but we are working on a lot of things, and she trusts us. I know she does. She knows that we will do the best for her, but we have to figure out what that is. Trust is so important in any relationship, you have to have it or you have nothing. Animals trust us with everything, they can't get their food from the pantry themselves, they can't re-fill their water bowl...she trusts us with all of those things. Sometimes its hard for us to remember  things because we are busy but I promise we try our very very best to make her happy. 

14. Love always hopes. 

When we put Harley down, he was so sick. I've never seen him like that, it came as a huge shock to me. But the hope in his eyes was just killing me. He held on for so long, it took them two shots to get him to finally fall asleep, he was holding on and hoping. Love always hopes for more. 

15. Love always perseveres.

No matter what happens, love gets through anything. The love we have for each other will get us through life. It has for centuries. Love always wins, no matter the situation. We loose people, we get new people, we have to say goodbye and hello, but love will get us through each and every trial of life.

16. Love never fails.

Love is the greatest gift you can give someone. Can't find a Christmas present? Don't have money for the birthday present this year? Love. Just show some simple love, we all have cell phones, call. Text, email, message, pokemon, instagram, twitter, snapchat...its not hard. Plus, it never fails. My animals have taught me that it doesn't matter if they have a whole box full of toys or two toys a piece, they just want love. They don't need bones and treats, they just want love. Love is all you need.