Authenticity... And am I becoming a Crazy Parrot Lady???

How this new obsession (whoops!) interest all began...

Although I've written several posts about finding myself as a mom and how important it is for mom's to nurture themselves, it's something I am still working on and learning! (Maybe it always will be! But I'm really hoping that at some point I will get this down and that it won't be a constant struggle! Who knows! :)) So I have still been exploring what things are important for me to have in my life. I've cut some things out and also have considered adding some things.

A big theme that my husband and I have been thinking about and learning lately is "authenticity." Long story short, we are learning that we are so much happier when we are more authentic! Of course there is a balance- but we have realized that being honest with ourselves, each other, and God, really helps us to feel more at peace, be able to accept ourselves more fully, be able to progress in the right direction, and learn more about who God wants us to be.

So, as part of being more authentic- I finally confessed to myself and to Seth something that I have been denying since we got married. I told my husband, "I REALLY want a pet!!!!!!!!!! I know that I kept saying I don't want one because they are dirty and messy and a lot of work and blahblahblahblah, but the truth is- I only say that stuff because I want one so bad!" (or something like that.) I realized that I had convinced myself that I didn't want an animal because I had talked to several moms who totally aren't into pets and think it would be a lot of extra work. But I finally admitted to myself that I am a huge animal lover, and for me the benefits of a pet far out-weigh the added work.

So this got my husband and I talking about what kind of pet we would even consider. Dogs are so lovable and cuddly and nice and are just eager to please their humans! As a kid I wanted a dog so bad that my parents went through all the other options first- we had fish, a guinea pig, parakeets, two cats- and then we got a dog!!!!! (angels singing hallelujah chorus). Then we got another dog!!!! And eventually we even shared a horse with my uncle! Wow- an animal loving kid's dream come true :)

But dogs aren't an option for us right now or in the foreseeable future. Cats?- I am just not a cat person for some reason. They are nice and cute. But owning one isn't appealing to me. Small rodents- hmmm. Not really my thing either. I like all animals, but certain ones aren't ones that I would be excited about owning. The benefits wouldn't outweigh the cons, you know? Horses are dreamy- but don't match up with our lifestyle now or in the foreseeable future. A girl can still dream though- maybe some day. :)

Then we started looking into budgies (typically called "parakeets" in the USA). They are cute and nice and the more I learned about them, the more I realized that I have misunderstood them my whole life! I am guilty of thinking of birds as more of fish-type-pets. They look pretty but you can't really interact with them. The more and more I have learned, the more and more I have realized that that is so wrong! Birds are possibly even more needy for attention and relationships than dogs! When they are tamed and have plenty of interaction from their humans, they become part of the family and love to interact. They consider the humans around them as their flock and rely on those relationships.

As I studied more and more about budgies- I started to venture into the world of parrots- reading books about parrot well-being, health, training, etc. Because after all, parakeets are parrots, they are just very small!

The more I studied, the more fascinated I became. I learned that unlike domesticated animals, parrots- including ones who live in domestication- are still wild animals. Unlike a domesticated, pet, they haven't been bred over thousands of years to please their human companions and to live with humans. So living with a parrot is less like living with a dog, and more like living with a zoo animal. In other words, you can train them with positive reinforcement and try to reduce undesirable tendencies, but you can't really blame them for doing things that you find undesirable that are their natural wild tendencies! (Being noisy, being messy, going through different life phases, needing to have their own territory, becoming more "wild" if they aren't given attention, behavior issues that result from neglect.)

I also watched a documentary called "Parrots Confidential," which is heart-breaking, emotional, and inspiring. Although it lacks examples of parrots who live happily with human companions and humans who are educated and thoughtful about caring for their parrot companions, it shows the sad situation of parrots who are neglected and unwanted due to overpopulation in domestication and due to people who want them as "pets" without being truly prepared and educated for the responsibility of parrot ownership.

Anyways- I have really enjoyed learning more about parrots and I think they are amazing creatures! The more I study the more I also have a desire to provide a good, enriching home for a parrot or two, and to enjoy their companionship while also benefiting the animals.

I never knew I could be so interested in parrots but I guess it's just an example of how marriage works- you put together two people with different interests and likes and dislikes, and both spouses learn new things about themselves and find themselves going in a direction together that they never would have imagined going in their previous lives.