Imagine...

 

Imagine...

Imagine...

• You're told when you can eat.
• You're told when you can play, and how intensely.
• You're told when you're allowed outside.
• You're told what behaviors you can and cannot do, even if some are beyond your control due to your individual genetics.
• Your natural needs and unique desires are being denied.

Imagine...

• You see something scary approaching you. You want to get some distance from the scary thing. But you're tied to something. On top of that, you're forced to remain sat or focus on something else while your fear is still approaching.
• A loud bang happens in the sky, and lights and flashes come out of nowhere. What just happened?
• You're relaxing on the couch having a nap and something just outside of your safe space, your home, startles you. In your panic, you vocalize your distress. You didn't choose this to be seen as a threat to you. You didn't want this.
• You're scared of being alone. You're put into a cage and left with nothing but yourself to keep you company.
• You were treated poorly in the past by a person or animal. Now you're in an environment that has many of them around you. You're not allowed to leave because it wasn't your decision to be there. You're still expected to be 100% compliant. Good luck.

Imagine...

• You're trying to learn a new skill. When you get it wrong you can see the frustration on your teacher's face.
• When you make a mistake sometimes you get yelled at or spoken firmly to.
• The instructions of what is expected of you haven't been taught well. So you're doing your best to guess the right answer. Hoping for the best.
• You can do something right 100 times, but get it wrong once and you'll know it.

Imagine...

Being forced to be something you're not. To be perfect. To be confident. To be unscathed. To be a social butterfly. To be smart. To be used for entertainment. To be treated like an accessory.

Let's take some time to think about our expectations with those we say we love so much.

"Be a friend. Not an owner."