May God bless you and protect you. May God grant you long lives, love, and good health.
The Blessing of the Animals is celebrated in the fall around the birthday of St. Francis of Assisi. This is an increasingly popular and charming ceremony celebrating the love of all creatures, great and small, and most particularly, our pets. This ceremony is usually held out of doors due to the unpredictable nature of…well… nature. There is the inevitable “call of nature” and the occasional personality conflict to deal with. All in all, it is usually a fun and peaceful event.
Joe and I are participating in our first Blessing of the Animals celebration at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Fall Fest on September 13th. Dr. Rojo, one of our associate veterinarians from Manchaca Road Animal Hospital, will be present to answer any veterinary questions. We are very excited about doing this. For anyone who knows our own 3 dogs, Bismarck, Lollipop & Vladimir, it will come as no surprise that they will be conspicuous in their absence. As much as it grieves us to have to leave them out of this special event, their boisterous nature and Joie De Vivre would mean trouble at worst and distraction at best.
It is wonderful that once a year we have an opportunity to contemplate and give thanks for the joy and blessing that animals are to us. The many blessings of our pets include unconditional love and trust. They can be patient teachers and even better listeners. As companions, they are non-judgmental and loyal. They are guardians of your home and your children. They will work for you, grieve with you, or just make you laugh. Our animal friends bring out the very best in all of us. They enrich our lives in every way. When you count your many blessings, do not forget your animal companions.
Other fun fall community events to enjoy with your best friend are: