Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, I thought I would talk about love, true love. Many of us enjoy amazing relationships with our companion animals also appreciate them for the incredible teachers they are. To explain life with my animals, I need to go back a few years. I was born into a family made up of animal lovers. As a boy in San Antonio, I helped my family raise miniature schnauzers. I was there for the dogs’ births, and we showed the dogs at competitions all over Texas. When I was 10, we moved to St. Louis, where I accumulated “the Flotron Miniature Zoo,” including “dwarf crocodiles, African pancake tortoises, birds, boa constrictors, hermit crabs, fish, and always dogs.”
Today, I have my pet-care business Creature Comforts Great & Small, established and led a pet ministry at a large nondenominational church. My pet ministry held pet-food drives, supports no-kill rescues, we would bring our pets to visit the sick and infirm, and organized a grief group for those who have lost a pet. The decision to pursue such endeavors was as a result of knowing of the unconditional love animals freely offer.
According to a Chinese proverb, dogs have so many friends because they wag their tails, not their tongues. Unconditional love is what we seek as human beings. Our pets give us that, and nearly always it comes right from the start. Unless an animal is in recovery, in a rescued situation or have been caught in the wild, they stand ready and waiting with open hearts to love us. Through the unconditional love of our pets, we learn what true loyalty is, what true acceptance is and what true companionship is. This unconditional love is a true gift: one we may not always deserve but one that is always there.
Since I am a visual person, I like to paint a picture of what I'm describing. I may be a romantic and so, I have the tendency to allow my heart to lead. Yet, I am also a visual person. I need to be able to see with my own two eyes. What does love look like? Being quite intangible, our concept of love is often unique from one person to the next. Perhaps love to me looks like a good meal, or something I receive when I have done something well. For another person, love looks like a gift or a compliment. For the next, it looks like someone paying attention to them in a positive or negative way. So is there one truth? One clear vision of love that surpasses all the rest? I have been so lucky as to have felt this truth for myself. It seems to be quite rare unfortunately, but perhaps by bringing it up here, we can increase the number of people who see love this way.
So, where is this great lead-up going? I’m sure a few of you have already guessed! It’s unconditional love. Love that is within every particle, inside and outside of us, just waiting to be seen and expressed. It is a love that has no boundaries, no limits and no conditions. You might even refer to it as “animal” love, as our pets are about as unconditional as it gets. They stick it out with us through the good times and the bad, forgiving and accepting us just as we are.
As humans, we tend to pass the habit of conditional love down through the generations. A mother who loves her child only when they are “good” stands a good chance of passing this pattern down to her children, and then their children. I’m sure you have all experienced the moment when someone closes their heart to you due to something you have done or not done. Was it pleasant? Have you done this to others? My bet is that you do it everyday, as I do. So often I meet animals who are struggling with their own patterns only to be met by the harshness of conditional love. The moment they engage in their negative behavior pattern, the love of their people comes to an abrupt halt, with the insecurity of the animal rising and the behavior pattern worsening. They hear thoughts and words discussing their potential departure if they continue the behavior, rather than receiving the space they need to feel secure enough to change their behavior from the inside out.
When I first rescued my parrot into my home, Dudley seemed broken, distraught and wide-swinging emotions resulting from being tossed around from one family to another. I am uncertain what Dudley may have observed or experienced from his life before I took him under my wing. But, I am certain of one thing. Dudley was happy with his new lifestyle with me doting on him, pampering and spoiling him beyond his wildest imagination. From the very first moment I laid eyes on Dudley and to now, over 21 years later, I hold the same commitment and devotion. I vow to always provide Dudley with unconditional love, acceptance and respect. By doing so, I have observed through the years how Dudley has become more loving and affectionate. Any negative behavior I have ever seen in Dudley was a result of insecurity and fear. In all likelihood, a fear brought on through the mistreatment by humans.
Dare I say, I may have saved Dudley's life, but in the process I believe by rescuing Dudley my life was saved. Who Rescued Whom? According to The Humane Society of the United States, somewhere between 6 to 8 million cats and dogs are taken in by animal shelters each year in the U.S., and 3 to 4 million of those cats and dogs are eventually euthanized. By adopting a pet today, you could be single-handedly saving a life. That’s a pretty big deal.
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened.” Anatole France
Here's To Always Believing In Love -- Here's To The Unconditional Love Our Pets Give Us!
Paul
Paul F. Flotron
Creature Comforts Great & Small, LLC
"Giving your creatures the comfort they deserve"
www.CreatureComfortsGreatnSmall.com
314-200-8561
Cell: 314-775-7107
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