It’s a Grand Life

For the Love of a Pet

Growing up, my sister and I had a number of pets. Our first was a parakeet—which really belonged to my sister, as I was a toddler when she got him. She named him Tweetie, and he was amazing. I remember him fondly, beginning from when I was about three years old. My sister let him out of his cage occasionally to fly around her room. One lovely spring day, her window had been opened from the top and, with no screen, Tweetie took to the sky.

Horrified, my sister, with me in tow, ran down the stairs and out the back door calling his name. My parents, who were also fond of this bird, but mainly to placate us, put ads up around the neighborhood and in the newspaper, assuming nothing would come from it. Imagine their surprise when a woman called, saying she thought she might have our parakeet. We had taught him to talk, and he had landed on her shoulder while she was out in her yard talking to a neighbor, and clear as could be Tweetie said, “Whatcha doing?” Fortunately, she also had a parakeet and took him inside and put him into the cage. I am not sure who was more stunned—the woman to have a talking bird land on her, or my parents that he was found. Tweetie lived a long life, keeping us amused with his everexpanding vocabulary.

Throughout his life, and beyond, a myriad of pets enriched our lives. With each, it was our responsibility to see to their various needs. Sometimes it took a gentle reminder to us to make sure they were fed on time, a cage was cleaned, or their water was fresh. The responsibility of a pet impacts many aspects of your life.

Our daughters never experienced a home without a pet. There have been fish, birds and hamsters at different times, but the one constant is there has always been at least one dog. Having a pet teaches children so many valuable lessons. Not only do they learn responsibility, they also learn about care, training, compassion, relationships, and, unfortunately, the pain of losing a cherished friend. My family has long been advocates of adopting rescue dogs. Each one has easily assimilated into their new surroundings, giving them the life they deserve and joy to their new owners. They always seem to know they have been rescued and are now safe, well taken care of, and loved. These pets always give of themselves in their trust and loyalty. When one crosses the rainbow bridge, we have lost more than a pet, we have lost a member of our family.

As grandparents, we feel that teaching children about pets should come from their parents. If it is not an option for them to have an animal that needs more care, such as a dog or cat, they can still learn about pet responsibility with a fish or hamster. If you own a pet, they can watch you interact with yours and see how they are well treated and cared for. Two of my grandchildren have a dog, cat, and gerbil. They not only snuggle and play with them, but at ages 4 and 7, they feed them, make sure they have water, take the dog outside, and, as the dog is still a puppy, work on reinforcing certain training skills.

Summer is usually a good time to adopt a pet. The weather is conducive to house training and getting in walks. With school out, it allows the children time to bond with the new family member and know what is expected of them in caring for the new pet. Usually, summer means vacation time, but as this has been a strange year, this might not be the case. A well-behaved dog will make the pet experience the best. There are a number of training options available that can help with this. Children would benefit from attending the sessions with a parent, so they can reinforce the training at home.

If a dog or cat is in your grandchild’s future, please strongly consider adopting a rescue. You not only save a life, but are rewarded with loyalty and love, as well.

JEJ Photos

In

BY HEATHER SPIVEY & About with the Kaleidoscope Ball (Virtually) in Winston-Salem

Unusual times call for creative thinking and collaboration. These skills were paramount this past spring when COVID-19 closed both Kaleideum locations and put a stop to large gatherings, thus halting Kaleideum’s primary fundraiser: The Kaleidoscope Ball.

“The Kaleidoscope Ball is our largest fundraiser each year with funds going to our annual fund, which directly supports Kaleideum’s mission-based programming and exhibits,” says Elizabeth Dampier, Kaleideum’s Executive Director.

The original ball was scheduled in late March as a 300-person gathering with dinner, music, silent and live auctions, and more. “We knew the traditional event wasn’t going to be possible, so we brainstormed with our Board of Directors and our committee members to figure out what would work best,” says Mimi Bennett, Director of the Annual Fund.

The end result was a seven-day Virtual Kaleidoscope Ball with videos, social media posts, and e-mails each day that highlighted silent auction items, a raffle for a lifetime membership, and a long-time favorite: The Whiskey Wall, a fixed-price purchase option that sold out in the first two days.

“The event started on a Sunday, and there was a lot of bidding at the beginning of the week,” Bennett says. “Things slowed down a little and then picked up again at the end of the week, culminating in some frantic bidding on Saturday evening. Some people who had watched and waited all week swooped in at the last minute and got their items!”

The co-chairs for this year’s event were Lisa and John Boisture and Bethany and Houston Symmes. The Honorary Chairs were Marie and Guy Arcuri. With the virtual ball allowing people to log in from their armchairs at home, more people were able to participate in the Kaleidoscope Ball; in fact, more than 330 people registered for the weeklong event. “Many people made it a point to tell me that they liked the virtual format, and it allowed them to get their children involved,” Bennett says.

While the planning and execution of the Virtual Kaleidoscope Ball was fun, the Kaleideum team is looking forward to returning to a new normal. “Covid has had a significant impact on Kaleideum. The museum has been closed since March 15, and our earned income from admission, memberships, and events has been dramatically reduced during our busiest season,” says Elizabeth Dampier, Executive Director. “The team had to pivot very quickly to providing virtual experiences during the closure while simultaneously preparing our reopening plan that included increased cleaning and sanitation, as well as new policies and procedures for day camps and regular visitation. Community support matters more than ever now, and we are so happy that the Virtual Kaleidoscope Ball proved to be a success.”

Special Thanks to the Kaleidsocope Ball Committee and Board Members and volunteers who helped make this a successful event.