The Secret to a Natural Glow

Let me just tell you right now, if you’re someone who struggles to wake up in the mornings or seems to be lacking motivation, getting a pet will liven up your daily routine by a milestone! Meet Shady Majora, my two-year-old mini Rex. If you want a real glow that will light up your eyes every morning, the secret is a pet bunny. Seriously.

Just around two years ago, I was struggling with mental illness and I had just gotten out of the hospital after very hard times. Going through thoughts of suicide and self-loathing, my friends decided to get me Shady. She was the smallest of the litter and seemed to be very curious!

Now let me just tell you, before I get into our daily routines together about how drastic the changes in my life became after meeting this fine young lady bunny, the first day that I met her, she bit my finger so hard, that it bled through! She did it most probably out of fear, but I looked past it and I let her sniff the bite she just gave me. Ever since that day, she has never bitten me that hard again... I still get the occasional love bites though. What I learned from owning a bunny is that they are our friends. They are not to be treated like pets, instead they should be treated like a true companion. There have been many nights that I have cried with Shady and she would cuddle my anxiety away. She has always proved herself a good friend, no matter how busy I get. On days that I have work, she’s never sour about being alone and is extatic when she hears the door open. She is one of my best friends, I’d have to say. Rabbits are interesting to me, because they can’t speak and their world view is much different from ours. She can only see to her left and right, but not directly infront of herself and the only sound I can hear her make is a honking sound when she’s afraid. Bunnies express themselves in many ways, but that’s an article for another day!

I love to watch TV with Shady, or listen to music with her. In the mornings, before work, I’ll set her on her play mat and play with her until I’m late! You should see how excited she gets when I put on cartoons or her favourite movies, she’ll do laps around her mat as if she’s in the show herself. If Shady’s really feeling it, she’ll start to give you kisses as her way of showing you that she loves you more than life itself!

Shady’s self care is MY self-care. I have found that when you take care of another living thing, like a plant or a dog, it helps you to take care of yourself as well. I know that this challenge had to do with what you personally do to take care of yourself, but I thought I’d talk about our fur baby friends as part of self-care because it’s easy to forget about the role they play in our lives.

When you take your pet for a walk, you’re taking yourself for a walk too! When you’re getting cuddles from your pet, they feel the love too! I must say that ever since Shady has become a part of my life, I have glowed brighter than any skin care routine or diet could have ever done for me and I am so grateful. Although our animals may not help heal our skin, they heal our hearts and it would be a shame not to give them an honorable mention! Thank you Shady and all the pets in people’s lives! Our furry friends are what keep a lot of us going! Thank you for reading...