Emotions Are For Feeling

Emotions are for feeling, feeling in and out:

Tears of sadness; cries of joy; words of anger;

fear as toys.

Round and round we go.

Sometimes laughing out.

Sometimes tears inward - make for sick bones.

Emotions are for feeling. Just what is it all about?

They say our feelings create for us, express the fears,

explode the tears,

Bubble with joy and laugh as the sea carries us on.

Emotions are water, ever changing within.

When brought to the surface, they can heal our bodies.

These feelings make life holy, all worth living for.

Without the joy and passion,

Just what are we here for?

Dare to feel rotten, dare to show it.

Let the misery escape, so it doesn't "eat you up inside."

Feel like hell, feel so sad.

When you don't think you can stand it another

moment,

You're amazed as that moment passes,

And you are still here and actually "feeling" better.

When you're in it, you think there is no way out.

When you come to the other end of it,

You just might have uncontrollable laughter.

How many times has some great tragedy

Made you laugh uproariously later.

Oh, I do mean much later!

The saddest you've been is a promise of the happiest

you'll get.

Could it be that simple?

The pendulum swings from sad to happy,

Love to hate, anger to acceptance,

Fear to courage, and worry to trust.

The mysteries of emotion... just what are they

here for?

The spark that ignites the passion

Can become the flame of unconditional love.

The delight of expectancy,

Brings us our child within.

Complex emotions are running around inside of us.

Without them life is flat, dull, middle ground.

The middle way is the path of the Buddha...

Not too hot, not too cold.

Lukewarm isn't so good either.

Life means feeling.

This body is here for touch, touch of skin and touch

of hearts.

Love is here to feel...all around,

The love is here to feel.

Copyright 2009 Merry C. Battles
poem from "Christmas Meditations on the Twelve Holy Days December 26 - January 6"
by Merry C. Battles

Using Hamster Toys to Keep Your Pet Healthy

Hamster toys serve more than one purpose for your pet. The most obvious one is entertainment but don't discount the exercise factor. It doesn't matter if you're hamster is of the Syrian or dwarf variety. All types of hamsters need to be active. With a lot of rodent cages being fairly small these days, it's very important that we find ways to keep our hamsters healthy.

One thing I love about hamster toys is the fact that they allow your little buddy to exercise in a small space. They'll keep your hamster healthy and active while allowing him to have some fun too. You have quite a few choices and they all provide slightly different benefits for your pet. Let's consider some of the more popular hamster toys.

The most popular of all the hamster toys available has got to be the hamster wheel. Hamster wheels truly are synonymous with hamsters now. Cage's are hardly seen without wheels anymore! This makes perfect sense if you think about it. The wheel, while not flashy, provides your hamster with a lot of the exercise he needs. It really is the perfect toy for a pet that doesn't get the chance to leave his cage very often. As far as safety is concerned, the hamster wheel gets top marks. One thing you may want to consider before deciding on a hamster wheel for your pet is it's size. If the wheel isn't the right size, your pet may not be interested in using it.

A different hamster toy very similar to the wheel is the run-about. The run-about is a whole lot of fun for your little buddy. To our eyes, it's nothing more than a transparent plastic ball. To a rodent, however, this ball means two things - Freedom and fun! Put your hamster inside the ball then let him out of his cage. Now Watch in amazement as your pet goes bananas! He's got a whole new world to explore now. There's really no need to worry either as the ball provides solid protection. This ball provides more than just a good time for your little buddy though. He'll be getting a lot of good exercise as he makes his way from room to room in his funky bubble. Now, the run-about is a safe toy for your hamster but he should still be watched closely while playing with it. The last thing you want to do is lose your little buddy!

Running is a great workout for hamsters but it shouldn't be the only type of exercise he gets. You should consider getting himself something to climb as well. Climbing is very good for hamsters and gerbils alike. We don't want him climbing all over our furniture though. It's a good thing for us that there are some pretty neat climbing toys available for purchase. A lot of these toys look like something cool. Houses and trees seem to be among the more popular shapes. This is great as they allow us to play designer for a bit. Your imagination is really only limited by the amount of space you have to work with. Enjoy these toys but beware of products that are made out of toxic materials. Hamsters like to chew just about everything and we don't need your pet falling ill.

The point of all this is to challenge your hamster with a number of different exercises. A combination of running and climbing toys should really encourage your pet to workout in a variety of different ways. Give your hamster the variety he craves and let him lead a happy and fulfilling life.