Four-legged Family

December 28, 2011

There have been several topics mulling around in my head over the holidays, but I’ve had difficulty deciding what to write about next. Could that be writer’s block, or is it just that I have too many topics to choose from?  Yesterday, the decision was made for me when a good friend had to say goodbye to an 18 year old family member, her loving canine companion, Brandy. Brandy was a cool dog – even though I only met her for the first time last year, and she was already old, nearly blind, and at least a little deaf.

What is it about our four-legged friends that we become so attached? So many of us (me included) consider our furry companions to be members of our families. We involve them in family activities, or treat them like our children. Some people dress their dogs (NOT me).

Some of us take our dogs everywhere we go. Others leave them home, but feel guilty for doing so. We swear we’re going to only feed them what the vet says, and then instead they share our breakfast. (My Baby was most fond of popcorn… so is my parents’ toy poodle). Some people can’t stop at one dog. My son has three, my daughter two, and my sister four.

Things have been tough the last few years. The economy has affected many families. Unable to afford care for their pets, people are taking their furry family members to shelters. My last dog lived to be fourteen. Saying goodbye to her was the hardest thing I ever did. I can’t imagine how painful it must be to give up a dog because of financial troubles. It would be like dropping a child off at an orphanage.

 Speaking from my own experience, I can say the attachment is mutual. Dogs give unconditional love. Even if you forget to feed them, they still love you. After a hard day at work, we come home to “I’m soooo happy to see you!” They won’t lay on a guilt trip for working late (though they may have an accident on the carpet). My dog was my best friend – albeit in the worst times, I swear she was my only friend. She didn’t care about all that human drama stuff. She was just happy to hang out.

That's right. We consider them family because they consider us family too.

Giving

Tomorrow I’m taking part in a world-wide event called Help-Portrait. I’m volunteering to provide technical assistance (and whatever other assistance I can provide) to some Quad-City photographers who have volunteered their time to take portraits of local families.

Help-Portrait is about photographers finding people in need and providing them with a free portrait. How many families go without a family portrait because they simply can’t afford such a luxury? In this economic time, with people struggling just to put food on the table or a roof over their family’s heads, the last thing they think of is a family portrait.

Think of who you know who might enjoy having their portrait. Single parent families? Orphans? Elderly?

This is the time of year to give. The Help-Portrait volunteers are giving portraits. You don’t have to be a portrait photographer to take part. There are so many other things that go into putting on an event of this magnitude. Find your local Help-Portrait group and offer your services. Or… find ANY non-profit and offer your services. There are so many ways to give that only require your time and talent and don’t require a lot of money. Pick one…. and GIVE this Christmas!