Over the course of my childhood, I’ve had 6 pets – a betta fish, 3 parakeets, an orange tabby cat, and a mini goldendoodle puppy. Each of them has been in my life for a variable amount of time, and I‘ve felt varying levels of attachment to each. Yet, all of them have taught me valuable lessons that I’ll carry with me through life.

Here’s a runthrough of my pets (with pictures!!) and everything I’ve learned along the way:

 

Blue:

Blue was a blue betta fish that I got for my 10th birthday. He was, unsurprisingly, not the most interesting. I spent most of my time watching him either float aimlessly or swim around the same two structures in his fish tank. Considering his mundane daily routine, I felt unparalleled excitement when it was meal time, and I’d watch him gulp up the little pellets of food I dropped into his tank. Though I never became as emotionally attached to Blue as my other pets, he still taught me valuable lessons. 

I learned responsibility and routine. It was my job to feed him everyday, change his water every few days, and clean his fish tank every two weeks. If I neglected to, there was no one to remind or clean up after me (as my 10 year old self was used to), and I was faced with the consequences – a sad, hungry fish swimming in murky water. For the first time, I encountered an outcome completely dependent on myself – his life and wellbeing. 

I also learned loss. Of course, the death of a fish is incomparable to other losses one can experience. Still, I bawled for hours when Blue died, floating belly-up in his freshly cleaned tank. It took me weeks to accept his passing and move on, but in the process I learned to cherish my present relationships, to not take them for granted. 

 

The 3 Birds:

I also had 3 parakeets during elementary school. I don’t remember any of their names, since they all died within weeks. This (most likely) wasn’t due to my neglect; all 3 of the birds came down with a strange, unfortunately fatal, illness. 

We had initially bought 2 birds; yet, when the first died within days, I chalked its death up to unfortunate happenstance, never quite slowing down to think. Instead, we bought another bird to replace the first. When our second bird died weeks later, however, I realized what was happening. I could only watch as our third bird died that same day. 

From this short experience, I learned to make careful decisions, to think through situations before jumping in and making decisions I would regret. Watching my last bird fall ill, helpless to prevent his death, I was racked with remorse. I learned to cope with the guilt, the weight and consequences of my decisions. 

 

Joey:

Joey was my orange tabby cat, but I called him Jojo. I loved Jojo more than anything – when curled up on my lap as we watched TV, when he slept on my pillow every night, his purrs lulling me to sleep. I even loved him when he scratched and howled maniacally when I tried to give him a shower. 

From Jojo, I learned to live in the present – when life got hectic, to stop for a moment, unwind, and enjoy the moment, regardless of the stressors I was facing. There were countless days where we would sit together on the couch, him kneading biscuits on the blanket, me immersed in my newest novel. On those days, Jojo and I lived happily in our little bubble, untouched by the chaos of the world around us. 

I learned patience. Jojo was, in some ways, particular. It was days after his adoption before he let me touch him, and weeks before he let me pick him up. It took hours to clip all his claws, a length compounded by his mad dash each time he saw the nail clipper. At times, it was exhausting, but since my love for him outweighed my exasperation, I became increasingly tolerant. Raising Jojo took time, effort, and pain, and for that I’m thankful. 

 

Nala:

Nala is our puppy. She’s an F1B mini goldendoodle, meaning she’s ¼ golden retriever and ¾ mini poodle. She’s been with us for less than a year, yet she’s changed our lives dramatically. She’s always the first to meet me when I get home, enveloping me in a flurry of paws and happy tail thumps. Every morning, instead of sleeping in, I take her out for a walk. My camera roll is (at least) 80% Nala. I do homework with her at my feet, binge TV with her on my lap, and make dinner with her in the kitchen, her paws up on the counter as she waits hopefully for me to slip her some food. 

 

From Nala, I learned to look at the world with wonder and curiosity – with her, I am a child again, exploring the world. Every walk is a novel experience, full of new sights to see, people to meet, and experiences to undergo. Together, we find excitement in the ordinary, leaving no stone unturned (quite literally). 

 

Through Nala, I’ve also learned trust – understanding that she will be there for me no matter what. I could come home with a bad grade, a stressful meeting, or a failed competition, yet Nala will always greet me with the same infectious joy. I’ve leaned into her unconditional love, realizing that I, and everyone else, deserved care regardless of external attainment. I’ve worked to define myself based not upon surface achievement but rather my genuine self, and learned to reflect that upon my other relationships. 

 

From each one of my pets, I’ve learned invaluable lessons that I’ll carry forever. Perhaps most importantly, they have provided me the opportunity to love – to experience this indispensable, beautiful aspect of the human experience.