Essay: Having Fun
Michelle Mantor with Neema and Miles at the Houston Zoo as published in the December 2014 issue of Houston PetTalk Magazine. Photos by Evin Thayer. One gorgeous Houston day, I was out playing my favorite sport of tennis with some other ladies. I was having a great time and suddenly I realized I was skipping back to my place to return serve. Skipping! Then I had the thought, “What are you doing? You are way too old to be skipping. That’s for children!” But in reflection. I started wondering why, as adults, are we not supposed to show such frivolousness? Why do we have to behave with such decorum? Somewhere along life’s journey, society teaches us that the silly, fun, spontaneous actions of a child is not appropriate for an adult. If we were...
Read MoreEssay: Innocence
Michelle Mantor and “Friday” – Published in the December 2011 Issue of Houston PetTalk – Photo By Evin Thayer As many of you know, I recently lost my beautiful Briard, “Remy” after 15 wonderful years. I had always promised her a 2-page tribute in PetTalk when she passed. Because she lived to be 15, I had to go through shoeboxes of photos to put the story together since there were no digital photos of her early years. As I looked through family photos spanning more than a decade, I experienced many emotions…joy, laughter, sorrow…and the tears to match all those feelings came pouring out. My daughter was with me and she asked, “Mom, why are you crying because of pictures”? It struck me that one of the very...
Read MoreEssay: Forgiveness
Michelle Mantor and “Remy” – Published in Houston PetTalk, December Issue, 2008 Photo by Evin Thayer FORGIVENESS It is my deep-seated belief that our souls mature and age over time (like a good wine or cheese) and one of the signs that we are progressing toward maturity is the ability to embrace forGIVEness. Living life in this world challenges us with obstacles and envelopes us with our own construed expectations. So, as we live amongst other souls, undoubtedly we will be hurt, transgressed against and disappointed by others. Our real test of personal growth is to give up the negative feelings, let go of the ill will and seek the positive forces in the situation. The yen and yang of life assures us there is an opposite side of bad and that, of...
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Michelle Mantor's Collected Works“The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth.Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of the earth. We did not weave the web of life, we are merely strands in it. Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves."
- Chief Seattle
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