Pet Lizard

Pet Lizard Enters Home Free of Charge

“I think I’d like to have a lizard.” says my then 10-year-old son, Izzy. “Can I have a lizard?”

…Can I have a lizard…

That’s how this not so interesting conversation began one spring day.  In ‘non-approving mother mode‘, I sounded something like this, “natter natter natter natter…why do you want one of those?!”  Then, “natter natter natter natter…have to take of it!”  Along with, “natter natter natter natter…buy all the equipment,” and so on with me giving repeated explanations ending in important phrases about responsibility and cost, salmonella and the cats. Not my responsibility, his.  Not his cost, mine.

I knew I was sounding horrible, but we had and still do have birds, cats, fish, and we did at one time have a rabbit and we’ve had a few hamsters and we don’t mind too often babysitting a dog.  The kids have kept a snake once, because it appeared injured.  They raised butterflies.  My husband, I recall, brought home an injured crow, robin, duck and pigeon. We live in a small house.  I think that we have had enough animals. I did not want a lizard for a pet. When does one draw the line between collecting the animal kingdom and keeping a pet?  If I recall correctly, I may have said something about Izzy praying if he wants one of those, because that’s the only way it would happen…

Enter two of my good friends: I was visiting their house one evening, just shortly after this conversation with my son, not more than a few weeks later, and for some reason, I started to balk about the Izz wanting a lizard. Someone’s eyes and ears perked up, and out came a flow of peculiar questions that I didn’t think really mattered much to the conversation, I was ready to move on, but I answered their questions anyway.  Eventually I realized why they were asking these questions, like “What kind of lizard does he want,” and “How long has he wanted one for?”  They happened to know of a lizard, a gecko, which they were looking for a home for, but they wanted him to go to a good home, where he would be well looked after and appreciated, and wondered if they could they give Izz this gecko. With all the supplies, at no cost? They would arrange to bring him by at our convenience. Did I say I considered these people ‘good’ friends?

All of His Supplies, Too

The following week, a cute, innocent little leopard gecko arrived at our home, complete with all the supplies plus extras, that we could possibly need to keep him. Wow.  I really did not expect my son’s wish to be carried through my door free of charge, and within just a few weeks of his request.

…and all his supplies…

The way this whole lizard thing happened, I can’t help but think that God is listening to the wants and desires of people’s kids in spite of what their parents think they should have.  That gift of a lizard was certainly from above, and just for my Izzy.  I know for certain that my mind was set against bringing another pet into the house. I could have said ‘no’ for sure; however, I am a bit of a ‘let it all unfold the way it wants to’ type of person.  I’ve learned that when I get in the way, bad things happen.  My son was so happy to get that lizard, and he loves him.  Why would I want to get in the way of that?

Somehow, that whole thing happened without me needing to spend hundreds of dollars on the whole setup plus the reptile, so why should I complain?  Why did it happen that way, and why a lizard of all things, are questions I still ask myself three years later. I’m sure you have little things in your life that have been unreasonably good, that you have no idea of why or how they came to be. For me, this is one of those things. I’ll be pondering it for the rest of my life, I’m sure.

I should tell you, I am not a reptile lover, and I felt queasy at first about having a lizard in the house, but as you can see from his pictures, he’s really quite a handsome guy.  He’s quiet and he’s tidy and very easy to clean up after. We’ve had many a good time watching him when he wakes up in the evenings. He’s very interesting to watch when he’s hungry. He likes to hunt his prey.  He loves to come out of his cage to visit, and actually looks up toward the lid of his cage, which we take as a sign that he wants to come out. We’ve made an outdoor abode for him to bring him outside with us in the summer, which he really seems to like. I have come to tolerate and get along with him well, though I cannot touch his prey. Nor him.  My family can, even my daughter the Jazz, but I cannot. That’s okay though.  I admire him from afar, and sometimes six inches near, with glass in between us, and am very happy that he’s with us.

The Izz and the Jazz of it all

This is one of those experiences of life that there seems to be no explanation for, there is no rhyme or reason as to why it happened, why it unfolded the way it did. I wonder about it a lot. It is too coincidental, and it is a really, really good coincidence with a lot of happiness that touches our whole family. I am so happy my good friends chose us to be this gecko’s new family. For me, I was dead set against it, but I’m glad I didn’t refuse it.