What Love Looks Like

My name is Debbie, and I am an addict. Yes, I am admittedly addicted to the unconditional love which animals can provide. My family knows this. My husband was fully aware of it when we got married twenty-three years ago and I moved three of my childhood cats and our college kitty into our new marital home. Some people would say that I have a problem. I would say that I am extremely lucky. Not only do I have the benefit of having four amazing daughters and a loving husband, but I also have in residence right now, five cats, one dog and two birds. Each one, regardless of how small or seemingly insignificant they might seem to other people who do not share in my addiction, is a family member. And each one, as does our sweet little Lovebird, Kiwi, who passed away last week, will forever hold a special place in my heart. Like any addiction, it might be difficult for someone who is not afflicted to comprehend, "Why?". My answer is simple, unconditional love and companionship. Oh and one more reason, I think that this particular addiction is a healthy one.

The kitties above, Callie and Jersey(named after the states my children and my husband were born in), are Cornish Rex. They were a gift from my husband in December of 2006. Most of our pets have been "rescue animals", including Kiwi, our beloved Lovebird whom we captured and rescued from certain doom, while she was dive-bombing my children in the pool. It was one of those, "Mom, Mom, come now! There is a bird who keeps dive-bombing us in the pool!!!" moments, when my reaction was something like, "That's nice girls. Now go back outside because you are dripping all over the floor." When they finally convinced me that I had to check out what was happening, there was, indeed, a bird who was deliberately trying to get my children's attention by dive-bombing them in our pool. We captured her, but she never protested, and she was The Queen of the Kitchen, until she sadly passed away, last week.

Back to Callie and Jersey, we had a twenty-one year old cat who I had rescued from the side of the road when she was a newborn. I had her for twenty-one years, and she passed away in September of 2006. For some reason, I just could not shake the grief that I was feeling after her loss. My dear husband witnessed the pain that I was feeling, and decided that I needed some "fresh" unconditional love to help me in the healing process(a bit of enabling is okay, every once in a while). And so, he did some research, contacted a friend who owns a pet shop about friendly breeds, and surprised me with two beautiful, albeit kind of funny looking, kittens. Short of a painting he had commissioned of an angel painted in my likeness, one year for our anniversary, these little babies were one of the very best gifts that he ever got me. Their entrance into my life was just what I needed at the time. What made it even better is that my husband, the man who sometimes has to threaten me with divorce to keep me from bringing another animal into our home, was the one who brought them to me.

And so, as I stand before the world and admit my addiction, I must also share my visual of "love". The love that these babies reflect back to me with their beautiful, albeit unusually large eyes and ears. The love that looking at them makes me feel for my husband who loves me enough to indulge me in my healthy addiction. The love that can be touched and cuddled and kissed, unconditionally, and just because it's there. Right now, if someone were to ask me what love looks like, I would have to show them a photo of these little, furry kitties. They are love personified.

May you enjoy whatever your healthy addiction might be. May you have someone in your life who loves you enough to enable you to fulfill that addiction. Most importantly, may you have your own definition of what love looks like.

I would be honored if you would be willing to share what love looks like to you. Truly honored.