Originally posted in Life in Dogs
Feb 14, 2014
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| Life In Dogs |
I'm a Valentine grinch. It's pre-fab and commercial, and it turns peer pressure up sky-high. If you're with someone, V-Day turns a relationship into a checklist that grows longer--and more unsatisfying--with every other couple you see. Is my partner good-looking enough? Are we, as a couple, romantic enough? Did I get flowers? A card? Handwritten? Did I get jewelry? Was it the real stuff?
If you're single, the twenty-four hours of February 14th are proof time is relative. No day lasts longer.
There's someone, though, who would--quite literally--die for a little of that love consumerism's trying to convince us to show via Visa or Mastercard. This someone doesn't need a box of chocolates (that would actually be a bad idea), wouldn't know what to do with a dozen red roses (but the box might be interesting), and couldn't care less about diamond-studded accessories. What s/he wants, more than anything, is your time. A half hour of your day will make her/his life, which is doomed to be short, not just bearable but purposeful.
Visit your local shelter. Spend a little time cuddling an abandoned dog or cat today. They might never know what a friendly human hand is without you.
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| Photo credit: Claudia Sanches (ace photographer, loves animals) |
Visiting an animal shelter on Valentine's Day, actually any day of the year is a wonderful idea. We adopted our cockier spaniel from an animal shelter just before Christmas in 2012.
ReplyDeleteI'm stopping by pre A to Z Challenge to say hello!
Susanne
From the Market to the Plate
Volunteer for the 2014 A to Z Challenge (Stormy Sidekick)
Three cheers for Susanne and her awesome family for adopting a shelter dog! You rock, Susanne :) Thanks for the visit!
DeleteAlso stopping by via A-Z blog challenge. Great post thank you! I must say I was pleased the husband brought a rose stem from the garden with the morning tea! But time is the most essential of them all - and your idea of an animal shelter - or any place that can use a little love and kindness - is so so great.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan! How lovely of your husband to commemorate the day--that kind of man probably doesn't limit gestures to a calendar ;) You're a lucky woman. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteThe trouble with Valentine's Day and many others, is that it lets you fall into a mindset that those are the occasions to buy gifts, have special meals etc. We ignore pretty much all of these. We buy gifts when we choose, just because. We have special meals when we choose, just because.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a shelter nearby, but both of our dogs are rescue dogs, as were their predecessors, and the ones before them, and...
They give us unconditional love, especially in the kitchen!
Just Because is so much better an excuse for celebrations :) And you're a wonderful person for taking in rescue dogs. The world needs you to please, please go forth, multiply, and populate the Earth.
DeleteSuch a thoughtful post. I'm betting a lonely neighbor or elderly person would love to have some of our time too.
ReplyDeleteMJ, A to Z Challenge Co-Host
Writing Tips
Effectively Human
Lots of Crochet Stitches
There's no shortage of those who would benefit from a bit of selflessness from us, is there? I advocate for animals because they have no voice of their own. We've taken over their world, we've made them dependent on us (in the case of pets) and then we turn them out into the street without a second thought. Can you imagine if someone did that to a child or an elderly person? The outcry would be enormous, laws would be breached, there would be consequences, fines, punishment. And yet people do this to animals every day, everywhere around the world, and... only very few care.
DeleteAw, what a sweet idea. We adopted our cats from a shelter, and the biggest difficulty was not being able to bring ALL the cats and dogs home with us. It never occurred to me to visit the shelter just to cuddle the critters. (While my husband watches, and mouths a silent "NO" every time I look at him imploringly about each one of them.)
ReplyDeleteHaha, Susan, you're a kindred spirit. That's how I ended up with seven dogs (all rescues). My boyfriend's silent NOs became vocal, then very vocal, then got a stamping foot added to them... All to no avail. Or--wait. Maybe without that foot stamping we might have 13 instead of "just" 7 :D Thanks for the visit--I so enjoy your blog.
DeleteThis is such a fabulous idea, Guilie. Children in an orphanage and elderly in a old people's home must get some of our time and love too! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit, Shilpa. Indeed, as I mentioned above to M.J., the world we live in has too many people and not enough that care--about each other, about animals, about the environment. Glad you share the feeling, and I hope you've found a place to share the love :)
DeleteHi Guille thanks for your comment on my post and revealing the reveal to me.. I have signed up - Sorry for breaking blogging etiquette - I am yet to read the above post - but wanted to let you know before my head hits the pillow - that the link you use at the bottom of your comments - http://guilie-castillo-oriard.blogspot.in/.../a-hop... - takes me to a page that no longer exists... In the lead up to everything I am sure you would find this info valuable - Best wishes and thanks for your lovely comment.
ReplyDeleteIda, thanks so much for letting me know about the broken link! Not sure what happened, but I've fixed it :) And so glad you signed up for the reveal! Wooo-hoooo! I'm looking forward to finding out what you chose :)
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