Random thoughts pop in to my head. Not sure if you are like this. Today’s random thought… Do we treat dogs better than some people?

Let’s think about it this way… We all see the videos about dogs in shelters and it just breaks our hearts when they are aggressive or scared. (We’re not talking about Sarah McLaughlin stuff here, because that will make me want to cry.)

Oh, how our hearts break while we watch this scared dog with visible scars being lifted in to the vehicle to be taken to their “furever home”. Some videos show how the owners worked with the dog for quite awhile to develop trust, reassuring the pup that they are loved, that they won’t be beaten or left without food.

By the end of the video, we see the dog happy and giving lots of kisses and snuggled up to the one that saved them. We wipe away a stray tear or two and post it on facebook saying, “I’m not crying, you’re crying.” We root for these neglected animals and we want them to feel all the love in the world.

But, what about people? What about the person that has been neglected? What about the person that has been told time and time again that they are unlovable, that they are not wanted, left to fend for themselves… I’m not talking about the homeless people (just like we’re not talking about Sarah McLaughlin).

We walk past the downhearted, referring to them as difficult to deal with, a bitch, selfish, not worth the time. Or we give them one shot, only to decide it’s just too much time to invest. People, just like dogs, do not heal instantly. When you tell a dog, “I will take care of you and love you forever”, do they instantly feel better? No. So, why do we expect people to feel better after we tell them this once?

I hope that if you ever deal with someone that feels unloved, you will have the same patience with them as you do a dog that needs your love.

That’s it. I just wanted to put this thought in to words and reflect on it some more.