Pets Can Touch our Hearts, in Life and in Fiction

I have a confession to make. I was shy as a child. Not just quiet. No. I was the painfully I’m not going to talk to people type of child. I did talk, but it was to animals, not people. I would pour out my soul to Socks, my black and white spaniel mix, and to my stuffed animal wolf named Woofie, whom I carried everywhere. Socks was born before I was, and in my young mind she’d always existed. We were inseparable. This early experience led to a connection with animals that my family and their friends would remark about. Aloof cats would come right to me. Dogs who didn’t care for strangers were eager to be my friend. Horses would follow me in their fields. What others saw as unusual was normal for me.

Animals were my first friends. They helped pave the way for me to overcome the type of childhood shyness I now see was limiting until I opened my heart to God. My relationship with God and with my loyal animal friends inspired me to write my first novella, Christmas Gone Awry. It’s the story of a quiet young woman struggling with faith who needs courage to stand up for herself. Emma’s dog, Ginger, a beautiful husky-German shepherd mix, is a supporting character in my story. I was inspired by my daughter’s dog, Sasha, who is a sweet-tempered delight within our household. I decided Sasha would be the perfect model for Ginger, best friend and protector to my main character, Emma. As I wrote Christmas Gone Awry, I envisioned Sasha’s beautifully marked coat and soul piercing blue eyes. I realized that I have observed her looks, behavior, and movements so often that my description of her flowed freely onto the pages.

Writing became much more meaningful for me using an animal as a character to help tell the story. I was motivated to share the connection between humans and animals, and in particular, between a girl and her dog. I wanted to share how a beloved pet can be not just a companion, but a support and a friend who accepts us without reservations, forgives our faults, and rises up to our defense when needed. Animal lovers will understand what I’m talking about. I hope my personal experience will show how important a pet can be in a child’s life. And really, aren’t animals another beautiful way God uses to speak to us?

My novella, Christmas Gone Awry, is one of seven stories published as part of the book, Christmas of Hope: An Anthology of 7 Christian Inspirational Holiday Stories. I hope you will enjoy reading about Emma and her canine friend, Ginger, as much as I enjoyed creating their characters and giving them a significant role to play in each other’s lives. Available at Amazon.com as a print book or e-book, https://amzn.com/B01KR4ZPZS.