Learning the Real Definition of Love

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened” – Anatole France

Most of who I am, I owe to the furry bundles of joy that I have had the opportunity to love over the years. There is no greater friend and no greater confidante than a pet, and mine have been the absolute best. When I was about 11, I got my dog, Jordin. About a year later, my parents had a baby (after me going 12 years as an only child). Then, about a

year after that, my parents separated. As a kid, those were traumatic events to me. But Jordin was there through all of it.

She slept at the foot of my bed and kept me company on nights when I was upset and couldn’t sleep. She listened to me complain (because, yes I talked to my dog. Who doesn’t?) about all of the anger and sadness that I was feeling. The wonderful thing about dogs is that, no matter what you’re going through, no matter what you’ve done, they will love you anyway. And in a time when I was questioning the love people felt for me, it was a great feeling to know that someone, even a four-legged someone, loved me unconditionally.

Fast-forward to high school– another tumultuous time. I adopted my first kitten, Percy, when I was seventeen. Then my second, Oli, shortly after. I have never loved anything the

way that I love those two bundles of fur. In the four years that I have had them, they have brought me nothing but happiness. I remember bringing Percy home as a small kitten. He liked to lay on my laptop, and he was smaller than the keyboard. Now he has grown into a chubby cat that barely fits in my lap.

From my cats, I have learned that there are more important things in life than what I’m always so worried about. The thing about me is I’m a very anxious person—I worry about everything. But coming home to my cats, curling up in bed with them each at my sides, helps me to slow down and appreciate the good things that I have.

My cats have two completely different personalities. Percy is very relaxed and constantly wants attention. It doesn’t matter who is in the room, he has to be in their lap at all times. Oli, however, takes a while to warm up to people. I took her in off the street when she was just a tiny kitten, but I can still see the skittishness she has from being abandoned so young. From her, I learned that love and trust are not guaranteed—they have to be earned. Nothing has ever been as rewarding as having her curl up in my lap, knowing that she trusts me.

My pets have always acted as my best friends. My dog, Jordin, was forced to listen to all of the songs that I thought I could write at fourteen when I was convinced I was going to be the next Taylor Swift. Being the sweetheart that she is, she laid right at my feet, listening intently the entire time– my #1 fan. My cats laid in bed with me while I sobbed for days after my first love broke my heart. Percy even tried licking away my tears.

The best part about having a pet is having someone who never judges you even when they see you at your worst. The most important lesson that I have learned from my pets is what it means to really love someone—through the good times, the bad times, and all the extremely embarrassing (I’m never going to be Taylor Swift) times. They are my best friends and I wouldn’t have it any other way.