Whit's Whimsies & Photos: Dogs

When my first pup died, my friend sent me a bouquet of flowers with a simple, sweet note: A quote which read "A good dog comes, enriches our lives, and leaves us better than before. It's sad that they have to leave so soon."
I had kept the note and put it in my desk drawer at work. I found it the other day and although it temporarily made me sad, it also made me realize how strong we are capable of being. As individuals, we face many obstacles in life. We make many many decisions every single day that affect our lives. Simple decisions some of them... daunting decisions others. Sometimes our world seems to come crashing down on us, and we are forced to charge through. It's not always easy, in fact hardly is it ever easy. But it's a part of life, and it shapes us. Our many accomplishments, our many hardships, our losses and our gains. All of these twists and turns and stops and starts along life's path are going to continue - it's up to us to deal with them in a positive way. Back to dogs. Since I am not a mother yet, I'm still in dog mode - and I love it. My family has had many dogs in our lifetime - too many to remember actually...but my first pup, the first pup I picked out and I paid for and I cared for all by myself - was Luka. He was a miniature Australian shepherd - but not so mini, and looked more like a weasel than anything. He was my little man and became a part of the family. I'd like to point out right now that if you're not a dog person then you may as well quit reading. :)
For almost three years Luka was by my side constantly. When he got hit, I truly felt as though I'd lost a family member. Every day tasks weren't the same - because he wasn't by my side. It took a long long time to realize he wasn't coming back and I had to wake up and smell the coffee and move on. I was able to so, knowing that Luka had the best life he could have had and I couldn't have loved him more. I still get sad thinking about him, but am thankful that we were brought together for that short time. I learned a lot when I had him. And like the quote says, he did enrich our lives and leave us better than before. I could not imagine losing a child - and understand why that is a parent's biggest fear. Parent's who have lost children are the strongest people in the world.
(I also realize I'm sounding pretty possessive in this post so far, mine, me, I - when really it was mine and my then-boyfriend/fiance, now husband's dog...)
Fast forward a year and half.
I (WE) now have a black lab and another miniature aussie. They are both almost two years old. They are a handful and they run my life. I wouldn't trade them for anything. I realize that my life will take many turns in the next phase - building a family, a home, a career... but for now I will enjoy my routine...
Wake up to doggie on my head, shower with doggie sleeping on bath mat, up and down the stairs with pups at my feet, go home at lunch to let the dogs out, go to the dog park, watch my shows and snuggle, bed time with dogs corking off my covers.
I have dirty floors. I sweep every day, but that's the way it goes. I have every kind of pet stain remover money can buy. I don't have expensive furniture or a bunch of fragile pieces of artwork around the house. My car has seat covers in it, and those covers may or may not have lots of holes in them and mud on them. There are tennis balls, rope toys, raw hides, and the insides of stuffed animals around the yard, house, deck, and vehicles. There is dog hair EVERYWHERE - places dog hair probably shouldn't be. The paint on the outside door is scratched off. I've successfully owed half of the roommates I've had at least two pairs of shoes a piece. We've spent thousands of dollars on dogs, dog food, dog houses, dog pens, doggie plane tickets, and vet bills. And ya know what, that's okay with me.
Without them my life would be different. Better? Maybe, maybe not. Would I be different? Most likely...better? Probably not.
Don't forget how strong you are. And for all of you with pups that you love - they are lucky to have you, and vice versa. Thanks for reading.