Being the adult in a situation is knowing when to hold your tongue. It’s fighting your deepest darkest urges to scream at someone because you know they feel bad about what they did. And no, being an adult isn’t much fun and it is very difficult which is why people appreciate it when you handle things like an adult.
Today my mom made me the angriest she’s made me in a very long time, perhaps the angriest she’s ever made me. We recently adopted my grandparent’s dog, a problem pooch, because they had to go into a nursing home (which wouldn’t allow pets). Nobody wanted the super energetic, super needy, really untrained, five year old, tiny dog, no matter how cute he was. A two year old would have been less of a handful to be honest, but we took him in and decided to try and live with him.
We may have been able to but no matter how many times we took him out he’d still do his business in the house. It was frustrating and it wasn’t something that our family could deal with. For one thing my dad hates dogs, for another my mom is working hard on her studies for college, and for another I’m either working, at school, or with friends. Nobody had time for that needy of a dog. Not to mention the obvious house broken issue.
So finally, while I was at work, she gave him away. That in itself didn’t bother me, it was that she gave him to a shelter. I could have roared with fury. I hate the thought of animals ever having to go to a shelter. How can they be “humane” if they will euthanize animals that can’t be adopted? I guess I just can’t bring myself to condone it. I can understand that they get full and everything but can’t something else be done? Perfectly healthy animals just die, every day, because people decide they don’t want them. There’s something messed up and disgusting about that. What if we did that with orphans? Oh this one hasn’t been adopted in a month, better kill them because apparently no one wants them. Isn’t that terrible? Now I understand, humans aren’t on the same level as animals but can we really say this is ok? I guess I don’t know, but I personally don’t believe in it. I’ll never let any animal that I have a say in face that fate. I don’t care what others say I won’t let it happen.
Part of me hates her for that decision, hates that she couldn’t tough it out just a little bit longer until I could find something else. Part of me hates that she wouldn’t drive the two hours to give him to one that wouldn’t kill him if he wasn’t adopted in a month. But another part of me knows just how stressed she’s been lately and that’s the part that holds my tongue. I love my mother, I really do, and though I’m really, really angry with her about this I will hold my tongue. If she reads this I hope it’ll be years later when she’s not as upset. When I’m not as upset. For now all I can do is pray someone will love him even more than I do, and will have the patience to try and train him that we didn’t. My family is pretty amazing but some of our downfalls are the biggest that anyone could have. And of those I think a lack of patience is the biggest downfall we have. Oh if only she just could have waited a little longer…I would have worked things out.
I had a plan. A friend of mine knew of a place that takes in stray dogs and finds them homes. They’re not an official shelter, but they’re professional and they won’t euthanize the pets, which as I’ve said I just can’t stand the idea. I wanted to look into these folks and see if something couldn’t be done. Something probably still could be done, if only they’d let me. I wanted rid of the dog too but I wanted it to be better than this. I understood it was hard but if she’d just LISTENED to me.
I don’t mean to sound self-righteous, but just because I don’t have the years of experience that you have doesn’t mean that my words are meaningless. You should listen to young people, even if what they’re saying is stupid or overly critical. Sure, maybe they don’t actually mean it, but sometimes not listening to them is all it takes. Sometimes we’re pushed to the limit too, and we begin to consider things that we shouldn’t. If you won’t listen to us then who will? If you can see a problem you can prevent it. Your life is frustrating, but so is ours. If you look back when you’ll realize that not every day was the day you rode your bike for the first time, or spending time with friends, or collecting cans for penny candies. Some of that time was spent in your room, sobbing in anguish because you felt alone. And sure, maybe the feeling was unjustified, and maybe you weren’t really alone but that doesn’t change the seriousness of the situation. Your feelings were very real, as are ours, if misguided. Never forget that. Always try to remember what it was like being old, just as we try to be adults too. I’m not perfect at it, and sometimes I do the wrong thing. I try my best though, and I work hard. But please, give my words some weight and maybe I’ll learn not to throw them around so carelessly.
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