Piggy Therapy Is Over – Surprise!

It’s been a long battle with my piggy therapy. I’ve cried. I’ve shared my deepest feelings. I’ve laughed. But at last, my therapy is over. I’m not going to lie. It was hard – really HARD – coming to grips with my anti-nature status.

See, I’ve never really been ‘outside’. What you’ve never done, you are afraid of doing. I was a runt so my caretakers at that time took me inside of their home and bottle fed me. I stayed with them until the time my mommy adopted me at three weeks. And of course, I was too small to roam the great outdoors at that time – I weighed only ONE pound. Hard to believe huh?

So therapy involved baby steps. First going to the back door. I knew something was on the other side of the door – I could smell nature. Then, the door got opened and it was just me and nature with nothing in between. I could watch Journalist Rocky the Squirrel playing in the back yard with all of his family. I could see the rabbit family playing and eating. I could hear the birds singing their songs. This took several weeks to overcome knowing there was nothing between us but air.

Then, mommy persuaded me onto the deck – of course with food. Darn this belly!

Then, it was the final step into nature and the grass. So, I pigged up and took the step.

It wasn’t easy. The grass felt weird under my hooves. The smells of nature was overwhelming. The grass had just been cut and had a strong smell. But I continued to pig up and venture around the back yard of the Hotel Thompson. It really wasn’t that bad… but it wasn’t that great either. None of the stuff in the yard was familiar to this little oinker. My television, my air conditioner and my toddler bed were no where to be seen!

 

But I ventured on until it hit me. I *had* to go potty. I looked up at mom with this fear in my eyes. My tail was shaking. She knew what I needed to do. She told me to go ahead. What? Outside? Really? So I got in position – legs stretched out, tail straight up and whizzed… right there in the back yard for God and everyone to see. WOW – What a feeling of exhilaration. Mom praised me and laughed – I think I might have actually smiled back at her.

I admit it – it is really an experience outside. Do I want to do it again? Can’t really say right now. I’ve done it. I can now cross this off of my bucket list. I have stepped out and into nature.

Aren’t you proud of this little piggy?