writing

A Generational Love

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On the daily, I am the recipient of beautiful, heartfelt comments commending the person that stands by my side in this photo. Many of those comments conclude with a variation of the phrase, “it takes a village.” To which I reply, “Yes, yes it does…”

I am so proud to stand next to my not-so-little-boy, a young man who proudly holds a love for all beings, great and small. It’s a love delicately nurtured and handed down from those who came before him, before me.

Our shared empathic love for animals and ability to recognize the powerful benefits of the human-animal bond is innately within our core— the result of a generational love that transcends all barriers within a given space and time.

And from that love shines a hopeful conviction; he too will use this coveted passion and make this world a better place (in fact, he already is).

For it takes a village— yes, yes it does. But not just any village, it takes a dog-friendly village.

It takes a dog-friendly village to nurture the loving boy and guide him as he becomes the loving man he is destined to be.

Me, Jacob, & Bravo

It’s Never ‘Just’ a Walk

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Even though you might think otherwise, an outing with your doggo is never just a walk. Found moments for cognitive stimulation, whether one-on-one with a doggo, like here with Judgie Boy or the entire pack, requires just as much from me, the human, as it does for my doggo(s). It also allows me to stay current with my doggo’s communicative ways and presents opportunities for creative ingenuity to keep the fun fresh (yes, even when revisiting cognitive challenges for practice, that’s fresh-fun too)!

Our human-animal bond is strengthened by infusing opportunities for cognitive stimulation when on any venture together. And it’s this active-time spent together that invigorates the body, mind & emotions; allows for new perspectives to the world on a micro & macro level; cultivates empathy… it’s never just a walk.

So give it a try! Spice up the active-time with your doggo. Start small. Make it manageable. Enhance the good stuff you’re already doing. Consider your usual active routine & possible on-the-spot opportunities the routine itself may provide (i.e. setting), try-out an added layer of cognitive stimulation (like I’m doing here with weaving between the pillars), evaluate your doggo’s response to the activity, reassess & revise as needed.

There is one non-negotiable, no negative reinforcement! If your doggo presents a hesitant response to the added activity, respect the presentation of the doggo’s feelings with love & reassurance. Empathize with your doggo, even say “let’s try again tomorrow,” & resume the enjoyable aspects of the routine as you and your doggo have established. Build upon the fun and cognitive stimulation, love the moment, love your doggo for trying something new, & give yourself a pat on the back while you’re at it, your efforts are noticed by the one who matters, your doggo.

Don’t have a doggo but still want “in” on some of this good stuff? Here are a few ideas:

  • Join a friend on a walk with their doggo(s)
  • #Volunteer at a local animal shelter
  • #Foster! Give some one-on-one active time to a doggo who needs it most! The result (1) you adopt the doggo or (2) get that doggo ready for their furever family
  • #Share this post with others
  • Connect with me ✌️❤️🐾

It’s just Daisy, being Daisy

Dr. Jessica MaricevicLeave a comment

It’s just Daisy,
being Daisy.

It’s just Daisy,
being—

her gorgeous self,
and knowing
she’s gorgeous,
and expressing
a quiet,
self-confidence,
a happy tail-wag;
the usual.

Look close.
It’s just Daisy,
being Daisy.

She hears
three words.

And Daisy,
just being;
sticks out her tongue,
ever so slightly,
to whisper a reply,
ever so lightly—

“I love you, too.”

© Jessica Maricevic, 2022

A happy Daisy, post-spa day.

New Kid on the Block

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The New Kid on the Block
© J.Maricevic, 2022

It’s tough to be the “New Kid on the Block.” But it’s much easier to be “the new kid,” to acclimate, get comfortable with new surroundings, manage new personalities, to feel included in what may, at first, seem like an impermeable pack, when someone reaches out a hand, or paw; a welcomed extension for all to see & emulate.

If you can put yourself in the “paws” of a puppy, a puppy attempting to navigate a new life, on a new street, with 14 other new doggos, from 10 different households, then you can empathize with the person to your left, and to your right. You can extend your hand, or paw, in an empathic gesture of kindness to the “new kid on the block.” You can dissolve those socially constructed barriers, and make that connection. Believe me, you can.

In this real-life scenario, and others like it, the human-animal relationship provides us humans with the necessary intra & interpersonal competency development to be better humans.

Furthermore, developing these social-emotional competencies, with the help of a furry friend, results in a transferable awareness to the way in which we interact with other humans.

So, next time, when you notice a “new kid,” on a new “block,” be an ally. Open your heart & mind to the benefits of getting to know someone, without passing judgment.

Think about that next time, when there’s a “new kid,” on a new “block,” will you choose to be an ally? Will you choose to open your heart and mind to the benefits of getting to know someone, without passing judgment? Will you think of the new puppy, on the new street?

Be the person who consciously considers life from someone else’s shoes, or paws. Be the one to welcome “the new kid on the block,” into your pack.

Actions Speak Louder Than…

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Canine Courage, ©J. Maricevic, 2022

On any given day, for any given reason, the world can be a lonely, isolating place for a person navigating an internal challenge. And sometimes, those feelings are left to fester like an open sore to the person experiencing the emotions, emotions that may remain undetectable to the naked eye passing by (yes, there’s an allusion to Langston Hughes in this paragraph).

We all must be better to the stranger, the acquaintance, to those closest to us… we all must be better, for you never know of another person’s struggle…

And to be better requires courage, courage to be:

✨The individual to stand by the side of someone in the midst of a conflict…

✨The individual to stand up when bystanders appear to be oblivious to the reality of one’s struggle…

✨The individual to place assumptions aside and reach out to inquire about the well-being of another…

✨The one to say, “Sure, I’ll run alongside you!” without uttering a word…

✨The one to say, “You are not alone” without uttering a sound…

✨The one to take the kindness received, and pay it forward to another in need. #PayItForward…

Inspired by their collective canine courage, I share my artistic creation of Bravo supporting Daisy. Or is it Daisy supporting Bravo?

Is it really that important to distinguish which empathic set of paws is supporting the other? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, Bravo and Daisy know that they have each other, no matter what the tide may bring. That, in itself, is just as much a comfort for the doggos as it is for their human.

There’s much to learn from our four legged friends— beings that possess the undeniable courage to do the right thing, allowing their actions to ‘speak’ louder than their … bark.

And Just Like That…

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Judge, one ear up, one ear down, before I pressed “play.”

Last night I did ✨a lot ✨of writing. The entire time, Judge rested his head upon my Ugg slippers…

I took a quick break, sat by the fire and watched an episode of a go-to favorite television show. FYI, nostalgia is a great motivator. I reverted back to my days as a graduate student, living in Manhattan, with this particular HBO series-of-choice.

Judge made sure he sat by my side, happy to watch Sarah Jessica Parker’s fictional character, Carrie Bradshaw, navigate Paris, lose her “Carrie” necklace, come oh so very close to losing her sense of self…

And just like that…

The “Carrie” necklace made its way back to where it was supposed to be all along, the “Big” embrace on the Pont des Arts, Carrie, you’re the one…

The episode ended. Judge resumed his position- his head rested upon my Ugg slippers.

I continued to type-away.