A Different Perspective: Thanksgiving and Pet Sitting

Nov 28, 2013   Stephen

This is an interesting Thanksgiving. For the first time in many, many years, we're all home, as it were, for the holidays. We usually make tracks (tire tracks, specifically) to East Texas this time of the season to visit family and prepare food drenched in delicious tradition. Actually, I'm not sure I can recall a time when we didn't do this-- until right now, of course. Thanksgiving happens to be Happier at Home's busiest day of the year (so far, at least!), so we've been in Houston visiting our extended family of the canine, feline, and avian variety. But despite the lack of turkey-related food items and jokes I crack at the dinner table that others are nice enough to laugh at, I feel particularly thankful this year.

First of all, we have plans to see our East Texas relatives soon, so no worries there. We've got the familiar gatherings covered. Meanwhile, stepping into the pet sitter shoes provides a totally different view on the holiday. As I drive from house to house visiting animals of all sorts, I see cars piled into driveways and spilling into the streets like overzealous helpings of mashed potatoes, bundled-up family members from who-knows-where occasionally filing up to the door with covered Tupperware containers in hand. I've passed through half a dozen neighborhoods and they're all dotted with similar scenes-- and quite frankly I've never seen it from this angle before. I'm usually one of the people inside excitedly waiting for dinner and trying to ignore Football.

Unrelated: Ralphie stole a sweet potato and didn't know how to eat it. It was pretty funny.

But not this year. No, I'm tossing stuffed animals, clipping on leashes, and scratching ears. My furred company may not share their food or laugh at my jokes, but nonetheless I couldn't be happier. It hit me as I was walking one of our new clients, a delightful dog who reminds me more than a little of our own Buddy. Caring for all manner of animals on a cool, sunny afternoon is my responsibility, privelege, and job. Not only does this enable others to head out of town to enjoy familiar gatherings of their own without getting worried stomach cramps about pet arrangements, but I get to have introspective monologues while hanging out with cats and dogs. How on Earth can I not be grateful for that?

I've immensely enjoyed visiting your pets this Thanksgiving, and as always, rest assured that they're safe and content back home. I'd also like to extend a grand, gratitude-filled thanks to all of you for trusting us enough to leave the home any time of year-- and now the smoke alarm is going off in our house as I type. I guess we're doing some cooking after all. Okay, I'm going to evacuate now. I sincerely hope you've had a fulfilling Thanksgiving, and dietary requirements withstanding, may your pets enjoy many an "accidentally" dropped morsel of leftover turkey.