Canine Blessings

When I was about 7 years old, my best friend Pam and I decided that we wanted to open a veterinary practice together.  We talked about our uniforms and where we'd open our office, and who our clients would be.  (For instance, would we practice on horses and hamsters?  Or just limit it to dogs and cats?)  Then some relative had to go and burst my bubble with the following comment: "Uh....Jenny?  You can't be a veterinarian.  You're allergic to animals!"  

Despite my allergy to dogs, we had one living with us.  Caeser was a black cockapoo who was trained early on never to leave our property.  His job was to keep the squirrels from touching down in our (unfenced) front yard in suburbs of Largo, Florida.  He would sit in the grass by the edge of the curb, looking longingly at the squirrels playing in the yard across the street.  Sometimes he would forget himself and dash over there and begin barking.  Then, when called, he would return to the yard with his tail between his legs.  Back to his special spot under the oak tree.

Miss B. has similar squirrel catching aspirations.  She gets more affection from me than Caeser did, because  I've been loading myself up with antihistamines, leukotrine inhibitors, and inhaled steroids daily so that I can keep her.  To me, it's worth it.   When I hit my mid 40s and realized that we weren't having any more kids, Miss. B. took the sting out of that realization. She's small enough that I can hold her in my arms like a baby, and she'll look deeply and earnestly into my eyes and, mercifully, say nothing. 

Old Age means realizing you will never own all of the dogs you wanted to.
- Joe Gores

Animals are such agreeable friends. They ask no questions; they pass no criticisms.
- George Eliot

All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.

- George Orwell 

 

Grateful that I have you, today and always, Miss. B.