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Loading...The Benefits of Living with Pets
- Sarah Cooke
- May 31, 2012
- 11:00 am
- 107 comments
A few days ago, my fiancé and I took our basset hound to a nearby dog park – something we do fairly regularly. There is almost always a camaraderie among the humans at dog parks. It is as if the presence of so many happy, playful dogs makes us feel lighthearted, as well.
There is something unique about the impact that the company of a pet has on one’s psyche. Pets – and particularly dogs and cats – do not judge. They love us simply because we are there. And if something scares or worries them, they rebound emotionally in a matter of minutes.
Pets also live in the present in a way that humans cannot. They do not fear the uncertainty of the future, nor do they either regret or pine for the past. They live moment by moment.
It is for this reason, I believe, that the presence of a pet can be calming and healing. In our hectic lives, there is a lot to feel stressed about. We often wish we could simply trust that life will work out just fine. We long to fully experience the present moment. And the fact that pets have the ability to do that without even trying is enormously comforting.
Related:
8 Funny Misbehaving Dogs (Videos)
Ten Amazing Pet Feats (Slideshow)
Puppy’s First Day at the Beach (Video)
Read more: Cats, Dogs, Humor & Inspiration, Pets, Spirit
Sarah Cooke
Sarah Cooke is a writer living in California. She is interested in organic food and green living. Sarah holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Naropa University, an M.A. in Humanities from NYU, and a B.A. in Political Science from Loyola Marymount University. She has written for a number of publications, and she studied Pastry Arts at the Institute for Culinary Education. Her interests include running, yoga, baking, and poetry. Read more on her blog.
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107 comments
+ add your ownThanks :-)
Thank you
Can't imagine my life without pets!
Nice.
Oh, yeah...tx!
I want that puppy.
Thanks .
Dogs are so fabulous. They give us so much...i wish everyday that all these dog eating countries and dog killing ones can see and appreciate in dogs what we all do. Thanks
thank you
Very interesting article
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