Play with me, please
My husband enters the room and says he is thinking about taking our dog Gracie for a walk even though it is only 10 degrees outside. She is instantly at his feet with mournful brown eyes. Take me. Take me. I had walked her the previous day in gale-force winds. Everyone warned me not to get a puppy: “Do you have any idea how much work they can be? You are retired now.”
I have two grown children, and I knew the sacrifices I would make when I adopted a puppy. Pets are just like children. They need discipline and affection, and cost a small fortune!
But just as there were joys and challenges in watching my children grow up, so is there in witnessing all the stages of development in Gracie’s life. She forces me to get down on all fours and run around on the carpet in the middle of the day. Nothing compares to the plethora of kisses bestowed by a soft puppy face who tunnels her way out from beneath the covers each morning. She has learned not to wake us until we stir too.
And there is the homecoming. Every time we enter the house, Gracie comes running to see us so fast, her feet don’t even stay on the floor. After you scratch her neck for several minutes and move four feet to put down your car keys, she acts like you haven’t met at all and resumes bouncing like a pogo stick.
I said to my husband, “Imagine if every time I came home, you were that excited to see me.”
He says, “If only it took a biscuit to make you happy!”
Helen from Lewes writes, “We had a golden retriever 20 years ago and it died tragically at age 4. It was so traumatic for us that we never replaced our beloved Barney until a year and a half ago when we got our sweet beagle Emma from Safe Haven. We have had no problems taking her with us when we travel, and she doesn’t mind staying overnight in a kennel when it’s necessary. It’s like sleep away camp for her, and she enjoys making new friends! But she’s always happy up see me when we pick her up! No problems getting a new dog at age 57!”
Patti in Lewes says this about Gus and Lodi: “These two fuzzballs are the best gift I’ve ever received. Rich gave me two kittens 10 years ago when I finally retired and stopped all the business travel. They make me laugh every single day. It’s hard to take yourself too seriously when you’re playing ‘chase me’ with a devious kitty. Who needs therapy?”
Pete Bahrenburg suggested retirees might want to try petsitting to earn extra money. Pete writes, “There’s a service that is helping folks around the country supplement their income, while also adding some joy to their lives.
Dog-lovers make over $30 a night (per dog) right from their own house and on their own schedule through Rover.com.”
Kristen H., a retired baby boomer, loves working for this company. “While you are away, you can be sure to rest easy knowing that your dog is being very well taken care of and given all of the love and affection he deserves.”
Finally, Tom from Rehoboth weighs in: “I grew up in a pet-free environment. My wife, on the other hand, grew up with cats and understood their value. They listen to the most outrageous statements and never disagree. The literature tells us that elderly people with pets are happier, and I am willing to believe it.”
