Why I needed a dog.

"There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face."
- Bernard Williams

I am incredibly fortunate to be able to say that I am 24 years old, and I have never experienced the loss of a close family member.  But it's possible that I might not be able to say that for much longer, and it's breaking my heart.  Yesterday was extremely rough for me, as my Papaw is not doing well.  I tried to keep my mind off things while I worked, but at one point I simply had to take a break, so I came home to let Mona out.  I sat down on the couch and, unable to hold it in any longer, burst into tears.  Mona came to sit quietly next to me, and she gently licked all the tears from my cheeks as I cried.  And I felt better.

This is something that I have never been able to fully articulate, but there is something magically therapeutic about a dog.  Bernard Williams must know what I'm talking about.  Dogs are great, and they offer something that you simply cannot get anywhere else (even from my amazing husband, whose patience and understanding I could not live without).  Personally, I'd like to see doctors prescribe pets the way they prescribe antidepressants.  Their companionship is like some kind of healing power.  And that incredible, unconditional love I get from Mona is part of what drives this raw adventure.  For all the companionship she gives me, I want to be sure I'm giving her the best I can as well.