I'm not sure it can qualify as a habit, but my dog is very good therapy. "Big Papi" is a 7 pound Chihuahua-rat terrier mix. He makes my life less stressful in several ways. First, he's a lapdog who loves being petted constantly -- the petting is very soothing for me, too. Secondly, since he's small enough that a hawk could carry him off, we have to walk him on lead six times a day so he can "do his business" -- which forces us to exercise some of our stresses away. Finally, he makes us laugh (always good medicine). He's amazingly fast (Speedy Gonzalez fast) when running around the house after his toys; he thinks he a big, tough guy -- trying to attack pitbulls when we walk him (at a great distance, of course); and he always chases my hand when I move it under the covers at night. He's quite the character. I'm sure some of you find your pets to be big stress relievers, too.

Outside of your nuclear family (mother, father, sisters & brothers), who is/was your favorite relative? Give a brief description of them & tell us why they stand out.