Last night, Boyfriend and I welcomed a new addition to our home – meet Bella. Bella is a seven-week old black lab pup who warmed my heart from the second I laid eyes on her. She’s loving, curious, happy, and friendly.
There are lots of articles about how pets improve your health, so I’m not going to go into all of that, but the way this all went down was a little strange for me. I’m still having a difficult time wrapping my head around everything that happened.
Boyfriend and I picked up Bella at 7:00 in the evening, and then I left to play in a softball game. While I was playing softball (in the rain, I might add), I got a text message from my dad saying that while my grandma was in the hospital recovering from hip replacement surgery, she had a stroke. Her speech is a little impaired, but overall she’s doing OK.
So there I am, playing softball in the rain like a little kid, eager to get home to my new puppy, and terrified about my grandma’s condition at the same time.
The timing is ironic to me. My grandparents don’t have pets, and honestly, I don’t know that my grandma would be in any better shape now if they had. But one of the ways pets are good for your health is that they’re good for your heart, and – so I’ve read – there are fewer strokes among cat owners. This isn’t enough to convince me to get a cat, but it’s interesting, nonetheless.
What this all comes down to is that not only am I thrilled about welcoming Bella and making her part of the family, it’s also pretty cool that this little furball that I love so much will be so good for my health at the same time. I’m still scared for my grandma, but in situations where you’re that helpless – because really, there’s nothing you can do – it’s an amazing feeling to spend some time with this little lovebug. Petting her and playing with her before settling in to sleep really put me at ease.
Up until she woke me up at 3:00 in the morning chewing on my hair. But even then, totally worth it.
Badass Is the New Skinny 