Gratitude

As my first semester winds down to an end, and as the wistful holiday season nears, I think of all the things I am grateful for.

I am grateful that I found the MS program in Anthrozoology at Canisius College – that I logged onto Facebook that April day, and that the Animals and Society Institute announced its presence.

I am grateful for my divine husband and number-one-fan mother, who encouraged me to go for this degree, no holds barred, no strings attached.

I am grateful to the faculty for being so invested in the students and program, and for continually molding it according to our needs and wants. I have never felt so academically nurtured, and I know these are relationships I will sustain well beyond graduation.

In a similar vein, I am grateful for all of the new friends I’ve made – the classmates who make me laugh on Facebook while challenging me to think on our discussion boards. I am so lucky to have joined a cohort of thoughtful, talented people. My program director refers to us all as “new best friends” …what a lovely concept, and one that is evolving, even as we are miles away from one another.

I am grateful that I’ve found something I love. That I actually look forward to doing homework. That I have a stack of books to read that are related to my field and cannot wait to dive in. That as I learn new concepts, I can integrate them into daily life and have interesting conversations about the discipline that renders me as enthusiastic as a child. (Ask me about the male anglerfish sometime.)

Last but not least, I am grateful for the animals in my life, the ones who live with me currently and the ones who have passed. You have inspired in me love, curiosity, wonderment, delight, sorrow, laughter, and everything in between. Many thanks to Annie, Quinn, Thacker, Monty, Dexter, and Miles for the joy you have brought me.