It has been seven days since I last posted here. When I set out to write more regularly, I didn’t account for a few things: 1) we would adopt a new puppy, 2) getting ready for Christmas would be time-consuming, and 3) it’s an absolute joy to watch a puppy acclimate to our home. That isn’t to say I haven’t been thinking about life; our life with three dogs offers plenty of moments for contemplation.
I’m re-learning how to be in the moment with them. Not worrying about tomorrow, or even the next hour.
Without client responsibilities right now, my focus is on immediate needs: potty-training JoJo and making sure Butters, as an elder, gets the care she needs. Is she eating enough? Is she shaking from arthritis? Is she in pain because of her medical issues? And with Lonnie, the “middle” one, making sure she doesn’t feel left out.
Lonnie and JoJo have gotten into a routine of playing on the bed in the morning. Butters is deaf, so she doesn’t know what’s going on and is in a deep sleep. Jay and I have taken turns using our bodies as a protective wall to shield Butters while the other two play.
We’re all figuring out how to exist together as we enter a new year. JoJo is incredibly loving and attached to us. In the two weeks we’ve come to know him, it already feels like he has always been part of our family. How can it be that a little being we just met can feel like a missing piece in our lives?
Watching the three of them interact as they test one another’s boundaries is enlightening. Dogs know how to create boundaries; they aren’t passive-aggressive, and they don’t hold grudges. Their feelings are transparent, so no one is left guessing. It’s an admirable trait, and one worth aspiring to practice as a human being. It’s making me think about all of the times I could have said what was really on my mind instead of holding back and later feeling resentful.
I’m grateful that the three of them crossed paths right now, in this moment. I’ve known Butters for over 14 years now. She has held many roles: protector, companion, calming sage-like figure. Now she is teaching JoJo silently, through her actions, how to be like her.
Knowing this, whatever happens in the coming weeks or months with Butters, at the very least, they all get to experience this special pack as is. And I do not take this moment for granted.
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