I hope this edition finds you and your animals well, happy, and healthy. It is the time of year to be grateful, and I have much to be grateful for. I would like to share some of that with you, perhaps, to be an inspiration to you or someone in your life.
I grew up a poor city kid in an emotionally abusive household. I was adopted by my parents who were hardworking German immigrants who experienced a tremendous amount of hardship in their lives, and had little capacity for compassion, kindness, or understanding of anything but relentless hard work. I didn’t have the right clothes or even a decent haircut most of the time, so making friends at school was difficult, besides the fact I was not allowed to actually socialize with them, anyway. I would have been even more sad and lonely had we not had many animals over the years. They saved me, you know. And although my parents were mostly unhappy, I think, having so many animals was their way of trying to bring some joy into their lives.
This is why I think I love and understand animals more than most, because growing up I spent much more time with them, and received their love and affection, more than from anyone or anything else. Well, besides books. I loved books as they were my great escape. In books, I could experience the freedom of a 100 horses, travel the world, and be surrounded by all the shapes, colors, breeds, and varieties of horses the world has to offer. My mother used to make fun of me for reading all the time. But I just painfully ignored the taunts, and went back to reading my books. Today I realize she just didn’t understand, and probably didn’t intend to be so cruel.
Books, learning, and animals is what got me through it all. And when I was 15 years old, and visiting one of my sisters for the summer, my parents sold their home (and all my things), their cars and their businesses, moved out of state, and left me behind. Believe it or not, I was actually grateful, because I had been so unhappy with them. Another sister ended up feeling sorry for me and taking me (they were all much older than me), and then an entire new chapter in my life started.
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on all the abundance you have in your life, and to count your blessings. I am grateful for my parents teaching me the value of hard work, and just how hard and unforgiving life can be. Those lessons helped me many times throughout my life to survive even more difficult circumstances, and to have the strength and resilience to continue on, with my animals as a comfort at my side, of course. I am so grateful for pets, their undying affection, and all they do for us.
I see it today in my veterinary practice, people who only have the will to live, because of the animals in their life. And how much they count on me to help make sure those animals stay healthy. I deeply understand how much that at times, animals are the only reason people can get through some of the struggles in their life. Animals are a special blessing from God, and for those of us who know, understand, and experience this, we are very lucky and blessed to have this in our lives. I feel bad for people who don’t understand how much animals mean to those of us who do know. But then I guess we are all here on our own journey.
This is why, I am sure, I ended up being a veterinarian. And also why I have this vision for the ResqRanch. I want so much to share this special animals, and the special animals who live there, with the community, so people can have hope when they are sad, find peace in their turmoil, and find self confidence when they are unsure of the way forward. The animals in our care can help, because animals did this for me, and I know they can help others, too.
Thank you for placing your trust in myself and my team to take care of your animals, because I really know just how much they mean, and I am honored to help keep them healthy and happy for as long as possible. If this resonates with you, please subscribe right now to our YouTube channel, The1DrQ, for more health and training tips. It also costs you nothing yet helps us to secure additional funding to expand our programs. Of course, if you feel moved to donate to help feed and care for the animals, we appreciate that as well. We look forward to seeing you there one day soon at one of our events! I am very blessed and lucky to have animals, and the people who love them, like you, in my life.
Thank you for reading, God bless you all.
DrQ and the Crew of Aspen Park Vet and the ResqRanch