This year, my husband and I became “empty nesters” when both of our daughters left home for school. Our family pets, Poppy the Tibetan terrier and Artie the tabby cat, are our constant companions and solace as we adjust to a household without children. Poppy cuddles at my feet while I work at my desk. In the evening, Artie purrs on the cushion behind my head on the living room sofa.
Pets always were important sources of comfort for my children during times of transition. Two rabbits, Salt and Zebra, helped our older daughter with a difficult move from Seattle to San Francisco in third grade. Sophie Susan the cat snuggled with our younger daughter at the end of a long preschool day. When we moved to Idaho, these family members traveled with us and became mountain town pets. Once Salt, Zebra, and Sophie Susan passed away, Poppy and Artie joined our household and helped our girls face the challenges of living in a rural Idaho town.
David Sakura, a member of our Speakers Bureau, recently spoke virtually with a group of middle school students in Idaho. He shared that he was forced to leave his dog behind when he and his family were removed from their home in Washington State in 1942. My heart breaks to think how vital animals are to people during times of stress and how incarcerees (children in particular) were cruelly separated from their beloved pets during that period of extreme upheaval and uncertainty. In this month’s book column, we highlight the young adult novel, Dash, which features a girl who left her dog behind when she and her family were incarcerated at Minidoka.
Our daughters returned home from California and Connecticut for the holidays. Everyone – children, parents, and pets alike – are thankful to be reunited and to be able to celebrate this time together. We wish our Minidoka community and their beloved pets a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year.
