Article Excerpt: When Jodi Caroland's daughter was 3, she yelped out a blood-curdling cry in the middle of the night. Caroland, a licensed professional counselor in Troy, Michigan, rushed to her daughter's bedside and found her hysterically crying over Smimmy, her goldfish, who was floating at the top of his bowl. Understanding Grief The loss of human life is often viewed as more traumatic than the loss of a pet. However, the loss of a pet can be just as devastating for its owners. "There is a difference in how other people perceive this loss, in particular those who do not understand the human-animal bond, and that may be difficult for the family who lost a pet," said Linda Lawrence, clinical instructor and veterinary social work services coordinator at Michigan State University in Lansing. Read the rest of the story at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Tag: childhood pets
Smiles, Tears, and Dirty Terry
As a parent, you will do just about anything to see your child smile. We sit through endless hours of dance lessons, cub scout meetings, soccer practices, and choir concerts. We pick out kid-friendly meals, buy over-priced Hollister shirts, and drive our kids to and from friends’ houses every weekend. It’s a small price to pay for the smiles that light up our kids’ faces. I always said that I would draw the line with pets, specifically reptiles. But, I’m a sucker for smiles and so I caved – resulting in Dirty Terry. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Shannon Philpott-Sanders 