Turns out I was wrong

As my brother and I discussed what to get our dad for his 75^th birthday we focused on one thing – what would engage his interest as the early stages of dementia crept through his being?  We decided on an aquarium.  It would be something he could watch, might be able to care for, and might remind him of all the good times he had fishing. 

Turned out we were wrong.  Our mother was the one who enjoyed the aquarium and when they were ready to sell the house and move into an apartment, one consideration was there needed to be a special place for the fish.

One Christmas a friend’s brother and I ignored conventional wisdom and got her a kitten.  We thought we knew best and that once she saw it she would realize it was just what she really wanted.

Turned out we were wrong.  She was quite happy with the cardboard cut-out of a cat we got as a replacement.  It only requires dusting occasionally.

Ruth and Elaine were two sisters who grew up in the house next to my two-flat in Chicago.  They both were executive assistants at important firms in the Loop, took advantage of the city, loved to travel, read, garden, spend time at the pool.  Neither of them ever talked about wanting a pet, so when a stray dog chose their back door as a place to rest, I figured that being the kindhearted people they were, they would care for it while they waited for Animal Control.

Turned out I was wrong.  “Jenny” lived with them for more than a decade and has been followed by others, leading up to Zoe who is today’s faithful companion to the one sister still in the house.

There are many summary remarks I could make given the title and topic, but I will close with this.  These stories came to mind because Saturday would have been Dad’s 98^th birthday, because one friend struggles with the health challenges of her cat, and because a colleague was suddenly presented with the heartbreaking necessity of saying goodbye to her 4-legged family member.  If you are an animal person, you know they joy they bring to our lives.  If you never have been, perhaps you would like to reconsider.  It could turn out you have been wrong. 

Marilyn

"If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans." James Herriot