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Friday, July 13, 2012

Zoo Day

Yesterday was a good day.

Hubs woke up and actually was kind of peppy.  He told me he wanted to do something with the kids and I, which is a BIG DEAL.  He hardly ever offers up enthusiasm and he actually suggested an idea for a family outing.  Turns out that the zoo had a Kids Night after hours and he was up for it.  We loaded up the kids and off we went.  When we got there, I saw that the parking lot was pretty darn full. Uh-oh.  I instantly started to get a little nervous that the crowds would set him off.  I held my breathe and in we went.

It was a lovely day.  Hubs never once lost his cool at the zoo.   We didn't argue, we didn't have to hurry up and leave because he was feeling claustrophobic.  We shared some fries, rode on the train around the zoo, and looked at animals.  Funny huh, how such a simple trip to the zoo is such a big deal to my family and most people probably take it for granted.  Do they realize how lucky they are?  To decide spur of the moment to go to the zoo and not worry about arguing, or if something is going to set them off?  Days like yesterday are few and far between for my family.  My goal, my plan, is to hold onto those days and talk about them.  Hopefully my kids will remember the good days more than the bad.

Here's an interesting fact:


"Like people, elephants can also become victims of past traumas and exhibit symptoms of PTSD years after the experience Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that describes anxiety-based responses to life-threatening events."

G.A Bradshaw, PhD.


Yes, elephants can get PTSD.  I found that out watching some kind of documentary on ABC News or some other news program.  We stopped to look at the elephants briefly the other day.  I have a sense of kinship with them.  These huge animals, who look so gentle, can be brutal to humans because they remember the traumas.  Elephants never forget, after all.    Elephants have become my symbol that represents PTSD.  Watching them, I wondered if they have good days and bad.  Do they get depressed?  Do elephants worry?



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