My friend Lynn’s beloved pot-bellied pig, Stanley, recently passed away.
She got Stanley as a piglet on a whim, raised him, and
cared for him for 14 years.
She built an elaborate house for Stanley.
Because Lynn loved that pig …
She fed him a healthy diet to control his weight.
Because Lynn loved that pig …
She groomed him and took care of his physical appearance.
Because Lynn loved that pig …
She forgave Stanley when his antics caused material damage.
Because Lynn loved that pig …
She suffered physical injuries, shepherding an animal that was
nearly double her weight.
Because Lynn loved that pig …
She ran after Stanley and corralled him when he escaped
from the yard.
Because Lynn loved that pig …
She snuggled with Stanley when he needed affection.
Because Lynn loved that pig …
She didn’t stay mad at Stanley when he opened the
refrigerator door and had a feast.
Because Lynn loved that pig …
As Stanley’s health deteriorated and he lost mobility, she strove
to make his life as good as possible.
Because Lynn loved that pig …
Due to Stanley’s broken leg and arthritis, Lynn would have
to lift him up to eat and use the bathroom.
Because Lynn loved that pig …
Near the end, she started a GoFundMe to pay for his medical
care.
Because Lynn loved that pig …
Stanley’s last meals were of the gourmet variety featuring
human food.
Because Lynn loved that pig …
She sacrificially cared for Stanley until his final breath.
Because Lynn loved that pig … 
Stanley
To Love a Pig is to Maybe Love Life
It might seem silly to bestow all that love on a pig.
Still, there are many worse things you can do in life than to create love
within your soul and then bestow that love onto a pet, even a rowdy,
rambunctious, 200+ pound porker.
And Stanley didn’t know how good he had it. While other
pigs were destined for the barbecue pit, he got to reside in his own villa and
frolic mostly unencumbered while receiving unconditional love. We should all be
so lucky; when you think about it, maybe we are.
As for Lynn, she is one of my favorite people because she
radiates all that positive energy. The type of positive energy that could cause
somebody to love a pig way more than expected. If you gave me the choice of
hanging out with someone who had made millions through some technological
breakthrough or the “pig-lover”, I’d have to choose the pig-lover.
Part 2 – What Do We Value? And What Do You
Value?
My mother-in-law Barb is an exceptional person, though you
wouldn’t realize it by her appearance or if you engaged her in conversation.
What makes her extraordinary is how much she loves her kids. In all probability,
she loves her kids more than you love your kids. How can I say that? Because I
have been able to observe that up close for 46 years. Barb loves her kids more
than I love my kids. And people have praised me for how much I have loved my
daughters over the years. On all the qualities of a great mother, unconditional
love, patience, selflessness, acceptance, protectiveness, and nurturing, Barb
scores an A+.
What is the result of this intense love? She produced four tremendous
individuals, one of whom I am married to. Throughout my life, I have been in
group conversations where people complained about not getting along with their
in-laws. After everyone had unloaded, I would be asked, "What are your
in-laws like, Don?" My answer was always the same, “I had the privilege of
marrying into the Walton Family (you young people must Google it). That was
fictional television; I got to experience it in real life.
But our culture values motherhood less every day. We shower
millions of dollars on people who can throw and catch a ball or move an object
to a specific place on a field. Is our existence harmed at all if that ball falls
to the ground? Yet, we suffer greatly when mothers do not produce great
children who become great adults. So, who is of more value?
Motherhood is diminished when we work diligently to stop
its natural progression. This concept is above and beyond any screaming debate about
rights. It is also harmful to excoriate someone who espouses a positive view of
motherhood, different from yours and the prevailing culture. Free and open
discussion is vital because your opinion, and theirs also, is never 100%
correct. As we demean motherhood, we demean ourselves. It’s only humanity at
stake.
Lynn intensely loved her pig, essentially serving as a
mother to Stanley. Barb loves her kids in an exceptional way. In both cases, we
tend to diminish the value and power of love. You may believe it is silly to
love a 200-pound pig. You may also believe raising four tremendous individuals
only makes a small difference. But in a world of hate and destruction, isn’t
love what we are called to do? Isn’t love the ultimate answer to the question
and mystery of life?
