Love: Pets

We have always had pets in our house. For as long as I can remember we have always had a furry animal in the house. Cats (surprised, I know), Dogs of all kinds, Hamsters, an Iguana, and Ferrets (our favorite). Each time my dad brought home a new animal, it was the light of our house. And each time my dad brought home a new pet, we loved the heck out of them. Most people I know have one or two pets for their entire childhood, but for some reason we've never had that luck. They've gotten sick, run away, and died... come to think of it... it's crazy nuts how many we've been through.

When my mother let us know that Milo, our last Ferret, was gone she sent an email that said the following:

PS As a side note. I thank you kids for loving and taking care of the pets that dad or you have brought home for us. they have taught us good things and brought many smiles. but I just want everyone to know that this is it for me. I am gratefully finished with owning and caring for animals. Don't know any kinder way to say it, I can't do it again. Please with all my heart, don't let dad or anyone surprise me with another pet. 

I smiled when I read it, and out right laughed. My dad always surprised us with new pets. We never had to beg once. There was always a new life to love dearly. But I related to my mothers exhaustion in loving these animals. In a small way she is talking about cleaning up after them, but more than that she is referring to the heart she put into each pet we had. Each time a pet died, it was heart wrenching. It came with being a part of the Singleton family, pets or not. Once we love you, boy do we love you and it is so hard for us to let you out of our lives.

I can count the number of times my father has cried, and remember each one with such tender and full memories. One of these times surrounded a conversation we had about our pets. It was a winter month, and my dad was driving me back to college after a weekend home. We were chatting about a million things, and my dad decided to play me a song by Garth Brooks, The Dance. As he began to play the song, he began telling me that he knew that mom didn't love it when he continued to bring more pets home to us. He shared with me that he knew it was hard for us when each of them died, but that the pain he watched us go through as we mourned these animals was worth the love and intense joy they brought us. He choked up and quickly brushed away the tears as he told me that the pain we felt shouldn't stop us from getting another pet that we could love.

I have never forgotten this moment. I have loved that song since. I have thought back on this lesson my dad taught me thousands of times. Life's moments can be excruciatingly painful. Whether they are because of choices we have made or because of someone's, sometimes the blows can be so much that you don't want to get up again. But the joys, excitement, love and nervousness of new experiences are worth it to try it again. To get up and put yourself out in the wide world. To be vulnerable. To dance.

And now I’m glad I didn’t know
The way it all would end
The way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I’d have had to miss the dance

On my wedding, my dad and I danced to that song. He cried as he reminded me that life was there to dance and I cried because I love my dad so damn much.