“…to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part,” said the characters who were getting married in the movie that Dad and Abigail were watching. Abigail liked watching movies with Dad. It meant he spent time beside her and kept her company. “What does that mean?” she wondered.
“Well, Abigail,” explained Dad, “When two humans love each other, they make a commitment to each other to always love and cherish each other, no matter what. It’s declaring your unconditional love.”
Abigail thought about it for awhile. After spending years with Dad, she had learned to trust him. She knew he would never hurt her or abandon her. He always respected her and accepted her needs as a rabbit. He took good care of her—even the time when she was really sick with head tilt. And she loved him. She never wanted to leave Dad to find another home. The door could be wide open and she never ventured outside to search for another home. She loved her life with Dad.
“Shouldn’t humans make a commitment like that with their pets?” she wondered.
Dad laughed, “Well, sweetie. We don’t get ‘married’ to pets, but some of us do make that commitment to our furry friends when we adopt them. Before I adopted you, I thought through all the ramifications of having a rabbit; How my house would change. How my life would change. How long you would live. How much it would cost. I even fostered a couple of rabbits to ‘test drive’ the idea first.
So when I adopted you, I knew I could promise to look after you for the rest of your life.
No matter what.
I know that your life is in my hands.
Literally.
But you’re right. I think all humans should have to take a formal vow like that before they are allowed to adopt a pet. Unfortunately, given the divorce rate, I’m not sure if that would really help.
But don’t worry, Abigail. I promise to love and cherish you, till death do us part.”
Abigail hopped onto the couch and gave Dad a nose bump. “I’ll love and cherish you, too!” she promised.
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