What makes a hero?

By Deborah Taylor-French

This photograph does not remind me of heroes I have admire now. As I grew up and read history texts I learned that many countries and cities heros as a man or woman who fought for freedom or the right for that nation to exist.

My sharpest memory is of a completely different kind of hero. A hero that our family loved, including all our pets. If you want to be your dog’s hero be sure you show your dog daily interest, take him or her for walks, play games your dog likes such as tossing toys, playing tug or teach tricks for treats.

My Hero When I Was Five

Remembering back to when we lived in a cabin in Hayfork, California, the world of snow settles in like a large cat intending to stay. The town remains without a single stoplight and a population of under 3,000 people living off long driveways and steep single land roads.

The California Trinity Alps consist of rocky crags and pinewoods, which in summer and autumn heat beyond 110 degrees Farnehit, attract rattlesnakes and remain dry. In every season, our father went to work, and all day, everyday he worked in a lumber mill grading lumber. His job consisted of flipping 4 x 4, 2 x 6 and other standard width cuts of redwood, pine and fir so that he might grade it for proper use in framing apartments, single family homes, business buildings and fencing.

I do not think I knew the word ‘heroic’ at the age of five. But Dad fit my ideal person. At the end of each workday, he would pull off his muddy work boots and toss them on the porch. Before he could open our front door, our pet parakeet, like a crazy rockstar fan, fluttered down from his perch. When Dad stepped in the bird, lets call him Greened Jack, would hop his way over. Then the bird, using his beak and claws, would climb up Dad’s denim overalls then up his flannel shirt to sit on Dad’s shoulder. This repeated nightly show made an lifelong impression. Our Dad clearly loved that bird as he loved all our pets. He talked to the bird and let it nip him on the ear.

When I grew  older I felt jealous that all our pets loved Dad best. Dad had a natural healing touch, when we were ill, Dad was the one who nursed us. So, yes Dad fit my five year old idea of a hero. His heroic actions were consistent love and interest in his family and pets.

I still see my Dad as a hero. He faithful took wonderful care of us. Until I grew up and began walking the neighbor’s dog, I didn’t know how important everyday is in the life of a child or a dog.

This is a blog hop. Please go see the other photographs and stories on WordPress.

Daily Prompt: Heroic

Visit www.houserabbitsociety.org for living with pet rabbits and children. Rabbits make older children (8 to 12) and adults good companions. We worked for weeks letting our Paris, adopted from local shelter, come to us. We would sit in his pen on the lawn and let him sniff us. We also handfed him (carefully!) with hands held flat like feeding a horse.

Alex learned to tuck up and hold the rabbits hind quarters. Rabbits have delicate bones. Plus they have powerful haunchs and may kickout, suddenly. Sadly, many a pet rabbit has broken its spine and died that way.

So if you have children and want a pet rabbit, please visit the House Rabbit Society and read. We had much to learn before we took our rabbit home.

An uplifting experience: House Rabbit Society