YoYo: How Pet Therapy Saved Me

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” ~Anatole France

Daughter. Sister. Wife. Mother. Grandmother. Friend. On December 2, 2022, Cheryl Yolanda Jones-Kemp went to heaven. Nothing can prepare anyone to watch someone that you love more than life take their last breath. It’s a pain that can’t be described in any language!! How do you continue to live? How do you smile again? Even as I write this, I’m still trying to process that my beautiful mother is no longer physically here. God, are you kidding me? When will I wake up from this NIGHTMARE????

Sharon Brubaker, my healing counselor and grief therapist, continues to be a trusted source of wisdom and insight on the many facets of grief. She has helped me to understand that the dualities of grieving and living can co-exist. This new reality of mine is one that is purely exhausting most days!! Having to “show up” when I really want to disappear because the pain is so unbearable takes a toll. When I’m experiencing these moments, I pull from the tools that Sharon has equipped me with. Lean into it. These simple words are not just something you say, it’s something that you physically do: Lean into it. The “it” is whatever moment I’m struggling with. Also, I lean into “it” without any time limits.

On March 21, 2024, my sister, brother, and I received some upsetting news regarding our mother’s affairs that were still being addressed. It was so triggering that I felt my body spiraling into another crossroads, having a nervous breakdown. In that moment I was truly scared for myself!! After talking further with my siblings and cousin about the matter I knew God was shifting our focus. Honor your mother’s legacy. Surrendering to the news and trusting God took a lot of prayer!!

When I woke up the next day, I was overtaken with the urge to buy a puppy. It was a wild thought considering I had never had any significant interactions with a dog. I hadn’t had a dog growing up, and it took me years to not be scared of dogs. So, the idea of even owning a puppy was wild!! Did I really want a dog? Or was this just an emotional purchase? These questions flooded my thoughts because I still wasn’t completely confident in my answer to these questions. But I embraced the strong desire, and kept moving forward with the process.

Early one Saturday morning, I was awakened from my sleep—the sunrise was still hours away—to immediately start searching for a dog again. By this time, it was beginning to feel like this idea to buy a dog was looking more like an emotional purchase. After countless hours of scrolling, I was connected to a breeder’s website. Then it happened. YoYo found me. Our eyes immediately locked on my phone screen. She was the opposite of what I thought I was looking for. Although I couldn’t deny her adorableness oozing from the screen, she was the complete opposite of what I thought I wanted. I was confused. Why was this dog tugging at my heart? YoYo is black. I wanted a brown dog. YoYo is a Schnoodle. What in the world is a Schnoodle? I wanted a Yorkie, or maybe a Morkie. Okay, I guess I didn’t know what type of breed I actually wanted (lol). As I clicked through YoYo’s photos, I couldn’t deny this emotional connection that was taking place. Is this what people mean when they say, “Your dog finds you?” If what I was feeling was true, then “Yes!” YoYo found me.

On March 30, 2024, YoYo officially entered my life. Upon bringing her home, I went into complete shock!! It was a whirlwind of emotions and second guessing if I had made the right decision. Thankfully my village -especially my cousin- provided the emotional support I needed while adjusting to this new life. According to a Healthy Minds Monthly Poll taken by the American Psychiatric Association, “Eighty-four percent of pet owners say that their pets have a mostly positive impact on their mental health” (https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/news-releases/pets-offer-mental-health-support-to-their-owners). Now, I can’t even imagine my life without my puppy. She is certainly my fur angel on Earth. The emotional support that YoYo provides is such a blessing!! God and my mommy knew that I needed something tangible to help in my healing journey while dealing with the heavy weight of grief.

Every time I call my puppy YoYo it provides a level of connection to my mom. Yolanda is my mom’s middle name, and I gave her the nickname YoYo many years ago. Since my mom was such a big kid at heart, she would just laugh when I called her YoYo. So, the only name that felt fitting to call my puppy was YoYo. My puppy has provided a new level of love that was such a foreign concept to me from an animal. My heart has been officially unlocked to pet therapy. This type of therapy has changed my life in the most beautiful way!! And for this I will forever be grateful.