A women is a special creation of God. No matter of what specie they are, God has made them all the same. A women has to undergo so much stress, many time it is such that she can't talk to anyone about it or share with anyone. So many times, she just needs someone who will listen to her, comfort her. Who better than a dog to provide her company in such times. We dogs won't frown to see your messy hair in the morning, nor will we judge you if you put on a bit of weight. You can talk and talk and we dogs can listen to you with out a word (with our ears perked and head tilted to add on to the cuteness). So in all a dog is not a man's best friend, but a Women's REAL best friend. I got a letter from my dear friend Bansari, with who I spent some time last year, who made me realize what difference a little time spent with dogs can do for women who are silently undergoing a lot. Lots of love, hugs and licks to you dear Bansari and hope we meet soon.
Here are few excerpts from her letter to me....
To know more about me and my team of therapy dogs, log on to our website www.animalangels.org.in or visit our facebook page www.facebook.com/AnimalAngelsFoundation
Dear Goldie….
For long, I have known that YOU (dogs) are
considered to be humans’ best friends and that someone who has never interacted
with dogs in his or her life has never been made to feel special through
the language of unconditional love and endless attention. Coming from a typical
“pets are not allowed” family, this has been a story of my life as well…but not
until recently, when I was touched by an Angel in form of YOU who
gratified my everlasting desire of experiencing this unconditional love and endless
attention.
It was exactly a year back around this
special Women’s Day that I decided to re-join Animal Angels Team and volunteer
to work for one of your amazing project with a children's remand home. My eagerness to join your team
was mainly in form of seeking a temporary escape route from the never-ending…nerve-cracking
problems of my life. Especially from the recent added cherry on the “cake of
problems”... of being diagnosed with PCOS (for those who don’t know what it is PCOS is 'polycystic ovarian syndrome') – and just as the name sounds odd and
related to girly stuff…its symptoms and effects are weird enough to make a
women NOT feel like a normal WOMEN herself. So while I dealt with the
multiple emergency alarms of “lose weight…work out…do yoga …control your diet…
take hormone tablets…I was extremely demotivated, confused and lost in the
whirlpool of thoughts of what should I do and not do...would these extreme mood swings go away.
It was
10th March 2012, when I met you first…fully excited and eager to
experience the feeling that I had heard from many of my friends and colleagues. As our work at the kids rehab center grew steadily,
I got more focused on learning the therapy work and in capturing its effects on
the kids that were involved. Little, did I ever focus on- how your presence was
also making me feel much calmer. I only
started thinking this around the 6th therapy session with the kids,
which got cancelled because of you falling ill. It was around the afternoon that
day; I was sitting at home and watching TV and feeling like something was
missing…or someone that I had not spoken to during the day that I usually did.
It was only then I realized that, every Saturday, at this hour, I used to be
with you at the rehab center waiting for kids to assemble for their play
session…and while doing so I used to talk to you about different things of my
life …while you silently listened and kept giving me those soothing licks and
comforting eyes and all of your undivided attention. It was at this moment that
I realized that YOU were having an impact on me as well and that I had found a new
friend… in YOU… who gave me the unsolicited essence of friendship, trust and
unbridled joy….a shoulder that did not judge me or questioned me or said “I Am
BUSY …talk to you later”. Yes… we had created an emotional bond of love and a
new relationship between us and you had become the new support system of my
life.
I then started thinking more about this bond and recognized that it was
not just that I found a new friend in you… I also felt much more NORMAL and
happier even when those nerve-cracking problems had not moved an inch away. By
just petting you, I had managed to decrease my blood pressure and relieve my
anxiety and I was now feeling much calmer and patient and was being able to
divert my thoughts away from myself and my worries of life. It was threw
learning to groom you during the therapy sessions that I was now focusing more
on my own physical appearance which is extremely important for every women,
especially the ones with PCOS. The bigger magic that I felt was when I realized that I had actually managed to lose some of the PCOS gifted stubborn weight...
while walking and playing with you, which I was not able to do due to lack of
motivation to improve my diet and exercise regime.
Though our interaction was limited and only
for those few days.…I felt those days was like the best dates of my life
because I got the biggest gift from you in form of comforting answer to the scary question that I recently had to face
through PCOS Diagnosis. It was you who gave me this relief that, while I may
not be able to have a complete family in future…You will always be there who I
can look up to, to complete my family and make me feel a complete woman. Thank
you for coming in my life and for improving my health and for providing me the
everlasting motivation to love and appreciate myself and to see things in a
different light. Thank you for teaching me that when you’re happy, one should
dance and wag your entire body. And a big thank you showing me an alternate to
those crazy workouts… in form of getting me into the habit of taking long walks
which has not only helped me to improve my health but has also helped me to
connect with my inner self.
 |
| Bansari |
Whoever said diamonds are girls’ best friend…
I disagree to them today…because the real diamond of my life is “SHE” - Goldie…And
because, I cannot have you around me all the time… I have bought this cute
puppy soft toy…which reminds me of you and the wonderful magic you brought in
my life… all the time!
Inputs from Bansari Pandya
