I will never forget April 15, 2013, and I’m not alone. That afternoon, two bombs detonated during the Boston Marathon. Three people lost their lives, and hundreds were injured. Two of those injured are very close to me: my nephew Patrick Downes and his wife Jessica Kensky.
At the time of the bombing, Patrick and Jessica had just been married. Their wedding was beautiful, their youthful optimism on full display. But their optimism was severely shaken by their horrific injuries. Patrick lost a leg. And Jessica lost both of hers.
They each endured countless operations, slowly inching back to health. Then one day something miraculous happened.
It wasn’t a new treatment, or another successful surgery. His name is Rescue, and he’s a service dog.
Patrick Downes, Jessica Kensky and Rescue the service dog.
Rescue changed the lives of Patrick and Jessica for the better. He not only helps them with their day to day needs, he provides a huge amount of emotional support. When either of them is having a tough day, Rescue is there, putting his chin on a knee, or getting into mischief. He’s incredibly intuitive, and seems to know exactly when they need him.
I’m writing about this difficult issue because I think it can help us all understand how important animals can be to our wellbeing. With Rescue in their lives, Patrick and Jessica admit that they spend less time thinking about their difficulties, and more time chatting about Rescue’s latest antics.
For many of us, there is an animal in our lives that helps us get through the day, whose love makes our life all the richer.
And this important connection to animals certainly doesn’t end at community animals like pets. We are connected to wild animals through the important role they play in the environment. Elephants are known as “gardeners” in Africa for the role they play in tending to the forests of that continent, and dispersing seeds. Grizzly bears on the west coast of North America leave parts of the fish they eat on the forest floor, fertilizing the forests. And many trees produce seeds that can only be dispersed by birds.
Without these animals, we wouldn’t have a healthy environment. And without a healthy environment, we humans would suffer.
Whether it’s the experience my nephew and his wife have had with rescue, or the important role elephants play keeping their ecosystem healthy, we have plenty of reasons to care for and cultivate the our connections with animals.