A close friend just emailed and said she has cancer. She will have to have surgery, chemo and radiation. Our hearts break. What is there to say? We pick up the phone immediately and talk and listen. As the days go on and her fight begins we want to be cheerful but sympathetic. We want to touch base tactically as well as by internet and phone. In this age of Facebook and Twitter a real greeting card in the mailbox is almost like a present.

A trip to the card store turns up half a dozen cards with unbelievably cute pets on them that fit the warm and fuzzy genre. The eight year old spots one that is a picture of a group of small dachshund puppies climbing up a long flight of stairs. The pups are adorable and colored just like our friend’s grown up dachshund. The unsaid messages are “one step at a time” and “don’t give up.” We know our friend will appreciate it. We know it will surprise her. We know she will understand that we spent time picking out something special for her because we care for her. We hope it makes her feel better knowing we care.

It’s another way to use pets to teach kids to be sympathetic, kind and thoughtful.