This weekend marks the 18th anniversary of…drum roll please…My fish tank!

Although I really enjoy them, I’m allergic to dogs and cats (and horses and, well, just about anything else that moves about…), so fish are the obvious choice for a pet. And, although they do require work, and cleaning the tank is not exactly my most enjoyed activity, they do bring a sense of calm, especially on the really bad days.

Many of us lupies and others with illness and pain have pets, and feel the same about theirs as I do about mine. They help us look a the world a little differently and, often, in a humorous way. They bring some nature indoors when we cannot go out. They help us feel an attachment to God’s creation, and even help us get up in the morning when it can be oh, so painful to do so. I smile each time I see the fish, all lined up at the front of the tank, waving their fins and waiting eagerly for breakfast.

Of course, sometimes people take pets a bit too far. Diamond-studded collars and other extravagances just make me shake my head and pray.  And those who let their pets run amok, creating noise and mess in public, for example, truly need to rethink their priorities.  If care of pets takes precedence over care of a person, well, that’s a problem, too. But pets do have a place in our lives, an important place, even if they do take extra work and time. Yes, God created them, too!

Fish come and fish go. Those in my tank right now are, of course, not the ones from 18 years ago. But all along the way, I’ve had hours of stress relief and delight at my finny fauna. And, I pray, there are many more to come!

Scritch your furry friend on the head for me! And enjoy!

Blessings for the day,