Four Pumpkins

Every family has traditions and although some of ours are silly...they're ours...and just like those little things that you hold dear to your heart, Roc and I have a few of our own.
Ever since we first got married, Roc has went out and bought me a pumpkin for Halloween/Thanksgiving. Why both, you ask? Well, I am one of those cheap  industrious people who simply likes her decorations to do double-duty: I stopped carving pumpkins as a kid, and chose instead to buy a nice sturdy one that would last for both Holidays.
That said, Roc came home last night with four pumpkins for our top step: one to represent each of us, which of course includes Puppy Girl. I smiled because we are in sync in ways that cannot be easily explained to others: I did not have to tell him that we needed four. He knew.
This is on my heart today because I was recently told a heartbreaking story about someone who had a child and got rid of her cat. In her own words: "I started hating the cat."
I think that's awful. Besides being a huge advocate for all pets---and especially rescued pets---I hate the message that a pet is a stand-in for a child, and that once their usefulness is gone...it's somehow acceptable to get rid of your once-beloved family member. Obviously, I am not talking about incidences where there is a dangerous situation. By all means, your responsibility is then to protect your child. But I would love to know what these people are thinking, and if their child were old enough to understand, would they realize the lesson they're teaching them?