The Park As Good Medicine – Part 2

Hi, Violet! Hi, Violet’s Mom!

One thing about dogs, after seeing them only once or twice, you remember their names. It is almost park etiquette to ask a pet-parent the following questions:

1. What’s his/her name?
2. What breed is he/she?
3. How old is he/she?
4. Can he/she have a treat (optional LOL!)

Whether you are at an off leash park or just walking in a neighbourhood where there lots of dogs, you always remember their names. What you sometimes never learn, however, is the name of their human companion(s). I have tried to introduce myself to other people there with their dogs, but I don’t always remember.

Violet, as I mentioned in Part 1, is known by everyone. Since Hubby sometimes takes her to the park without me, there will be dogs coming or going that I haven’t seen before, but they seem to know Violet and their humans do too!

In the off leash park, all dogs are treated like children. No one looks at you funny for calling yourself their Mom or Dad. And you find yourself saying things to the pets like “I don’t think your Mom wants you rolling in the grass/dirt/sand” or “Hey, Charlie’s Mom, can he have a treat?”

For me, this is awesome because in a group of people I always feel left out when people talk about their kids as I don’t have any of my own. Here, we are all on the same level, talking about our fur-kids. It may not sound like “medicine” but it is and it goes right to heal a heart broken by the absence of human offspring. This is just one more thing that chronic illness took away from me.

So, even though I talk to these people every day, and try to remember their names, I honestly don’t mind if they don’t remember mine. Like I said in part one, I am very happy to be Violet’s Mom!

Next time, I will get into the more human aspects of the park.

Lydia!