Pulse - September 2022 - 52

FROM THE SCVMA OFFICE
JENNIFER HAWKINS, DVM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
JENNIFER HAWKINS,
HAWKINS, DVM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
JHAWKINS@SCVMA.ORG
TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN
W
hen I was sworn in as SCVMA president, my daughter was just a little over 4 months old. At the time, I
had no idea I would ever have the great fortune to be the Executive Director of this amazing organization.
This month, we will celebrate my daughter's 10th birthday. It's not easy being a parent and working
as a practicing veterinarian as neither personal nor professional jobs afford much in the way of a break, much less
the opportunity to complete a thought. I sometimes get asked how I balance it all. Many people consider their
pets their " kids. " Others wonder if they should consider parenthood for themselves.
To celebrate surviving 10 years of parenthood,
I thought I'd offer a list of how
kids and pets are similar.
* They are nearly always in your way
* They wake you at 3 a.m. for a snack
* They insist they have to go to the bathroom
and then...they don't go
* They are completely quiet and content
until such time as you need talk on the
phone/zoom
* The amount of time/money/effort that
goes into a toy/meal/activity is inversely
proportional to how much they enjoy it
* Even the smallest ones take up the
WHOLE bed
* They HAVE to be in the bathroom with
you
* Baths are not well tolerated
* They are always in YOUR chair
* They need something right when you
are leaving the house
* They get sick/injured only after 5 p.m.
on Friday
* They refuse to pose for photos
* They don't let you sleep in
* Zoomies
* Sometimes they flop on the floor right
in front of you
* Separation anxiety
* They won't eat food that hasn't met specific
requirements; also may eat rocks
* They train you faster than you can train
them
* They can't find the toy that's literally
right in front of them
* First word: no
* They become destructive if not adequately
exercised
* They slow you down by stopping to
sniff at something
* Squirting them with water doesn't get
them off the counter
* They often prefer your food to their
own
* They knock things over all the time
* They refuse to be medicated
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* Sneezing right in your face
* May bite
* They trigger unsolicited advice from
others
* They prefer the loudest/most obnoxious
toy
* They eat their food with their whole
face
* They put everything in their mouth
* When they're out, they want in. When
they're in, they want out.
* Well behaved until guests come over
* They sometimes lock themselves in the
closet
* They will do most anything for a treat
* Don't like their nails trimmed
* They only want snuggles on their own
terms
* You look alike
* They refuse to perform in front of
others
* They evoke a love you never knew you
were capable of
I consider myself lucky that she's more
like a Labrador than a terrier; she's easy to
train and follows commands....for now.
Now that she's officially a " tween " I am
cautiously looking forward to the next
phase of parenthood. She is no longer the
baby that kept me up all hours of the night
nor the toddler asking for " up " all the time.
She is her own little person who has an
amazing level of self-awareness, compassion,
and, well, sass. And as she grows into
a young woman, I find myself continuing
to evolve too. As a recovering helicopter
parent, I'm finding myself allowing her
more time " off-leash " and offering support
from the sidelines. And as my own freedom
grows I am beginning to reconnect with
my own identity once again.

Pulse - September 2022

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