We belong to our pets! There, I said it. I have thought about it enough I figured it was time to just let go of it. Most people say they have pets but I think we get that wrong, I really think the pets have us. When we start out in life and decide to raise our children most of us can relate to dreaming of the day when our children are grown and have families of their own, in other words they finally move out of the house! Now you have that office you always wanted and your parking space is never blocked by the car that hasn’t been cleaned out in a year.
Something happens though, we get the notion perhaps a pet would be nice to have around the house. Make it seem less empty now the stereo isn’t blaring at 10,000 decibels. They are so cute too and wouldn’t it be nice to have someone fetch your slippers or maybe the paper if you haven’t sold out for on-line news channels.
Our reality of such notions haunt us in the form of a fatted cat and an enlarged dog. We are not pet owners we are now pet servants! If they are not fed on time the household becomes fraught with tension and the noise level starts to ramp up with each ticking of the clock.
When we first bought our house the carpet was so lovely and plush, now it is matted and intertwined with the animal fur. Why don’t they ever go bald? Are scientists studying this phenomena in order to help stop male balding?
Our vacations are no longer something we can take on the fly. Leave the house for a weekend? Forget it! Our back yard has become tantamount to Bosnia with all the holes dug over the years. My garage used to house vehicles and now it serves as a cat hotel with a lovely sand beach combed each day for the comfort of its guest.
As I ready myself this morning to leave I fluff up the towel which I lay over my arm in proper form to once more wait upon the true masters of the house. Food and water are on their way…..
Is this what it means to have a servant’s heart?