Here I sit, munching away on some Raisin Bran for lunch wondering what to blog about. I think and think and think, and nothing comes to me. I look down to the left and see my precious little angel, Toby, laying right up against my leg staring up at me like he wouldn't want to be anywhere else. All of a sudden, I could write for days.
Every creature has a purpose. Spiders (although I loathe them entirely...) eat mosquitos (which I also loathe). Snakes eat mice. I immediately started to like snakes more than I used to when I found out that the #1 bite type that causes human deaths each year is from mice and rats. Snakes are welcome to eat those wretched, although adorable, creatures that threaten my life. So, my point...the life cycle, or circle of life. Thank you Elton for that song by the way. That moment in the Lion King still gives me chills.
Humans have managed to pinpoint what every creature is here for, or at least how they benefit us.
What do dogs do? Well, nothing. They do nothing and they do everything at the same time. They aren't here to eat little varmints to keep disease levels down. They aren't here to benefit the food chain. I see them as being God's greatest gift to us (other than Jesus, calm down.) I don't think it's a coincidence that Dog is God spelled backwards. I see more of God in dogs than anywhere else. They are here to watch over us. They become our little guardian angels here on Earth. I have read so many stories about dogs saving their owners, and some tragic accounts where some dogs sacrifice their lives to get someone out of a burning building safely. Sure, a human will occasionally do something heroic and selfless like that. But humans, for the most part, put themselves first. It's not a flaw, it's just an innate instinct we can't help. Dogs don't live for themselves. They live for us, and I see that more and more each day.
How can you resist that goofy little grin? It melts me every time Toby goes running in the yard. I get nervous every time that his beagle nose will pick up a scent and he will be gone, but he will always turn and look back to make sure I'm close behind. He turns his little head and gives me that 'come on mom, hurry up! Let's go see what's back here!' look, with one ear flipped up.
Tail wags are the best, so you always know where your dog stands. Happy, happier, happiest, depending on the speed. Toby's, when he's in his 'happiest' mood, will do this circle motion that we call the helicopter. His tail is adorable because it's in the shape of a question mark. All of this stuff is so simple, but it makes our days full of laughter and love.
We wake up every morning to baths of kisses that will not stop until we turn our heads because we need to breathe. He looks so excited that we finally woke up, like he has been waiting for us for hours. He's never worrying about what has to happen that day, that week, that month, or what bills are due when. The only thing he worries about is us.
If Eric and I argue, or one of us is in a bad mood, he's right there. Isn't it crazy that they just know right when you need them to snuggle up to you and give you a kiss. "Turn that frown upside down, mom," and it always works.
Dogs are so special, and I get irate when I see one being mistreated. They can't stand up and defend themselves. They can't pick their owners. If you can't love a dog the way you would love a child, DON'T GET ONE. General Buck is a dog that lives in our neighborhood. They 'love' him enough to slap a collar on him with his name and their phone number. Miraculously, his rabies shots are current. That's about as far as they go. This dog is starved for true love, and so we are more than happy to give it to him when he comes over. He comes over every day to play with Toby, and get his chin scratched by Eric and I. He loves it at our house. If I didn't think they would complain, I would snatch him right up and keep him. We make sure he is well fed and has all the treats he needs though. Those people don't deserve him!
I hate that dogs have such short lives, I really do. It makes me lose sleep knowing that Toby just turned four. What will we do without him? It just has to be because God can't do without them for much longer than 10-15 years. I've lost a dog, and it's some of the worst pain I've ever felt. I know the best remedy though. Go out, and find another one to love, who will love you right back with every ounce of himself. You never forget your other dogs, they have their paw print right on your heart forever. You just open your home and heart to a new little critter who needs a match. You heal each other, and a new friendship is born. I will never go without a dog. When that terrible, dreadful day comes when we will have to give Toby back to God, we will mourn and always miss him, but we will go out and find another one. We think we do dogs a favor by taking them in and loving them, but they are really the ones doing us the favor. They save us from the trials and tribulations of everyday life.
