They run to greet you with tails wagging wildly and mouths open as though ready to say, “You’re home – at last,” even if you’ve been gone only ten minutes. When you walk through the house, they follow you. If they don’t get up to follow on all fours, they do so with their eyes. They stay in the same room with you, often by your feet. You can hear them breathing when all is quiet. They bark to alert you when a stranger approaches. They want nothing more than to sleep and eat and play. And be near you.
I know why I love my dogs. Recently we had company who wasn’t able to enjoy them as much as me, so we kenneled them for five days. Even with extra people here, it felt empty. That’s when I realized that my dogs bring with them a love of life that has a purpose in my home. They make me laugh at their antics so that I don’t become too serious. They cause me to stop and play when I might otherwise keep working and forget to pause. They are so grateful for just a little pat on the head or rub behind the ears to remind me it doesn’t take much of my time to make someone happy. They fill in the energy blanks of my day. They breathe between my breaths.
My dogs are not human companionship. And they are not my way of connecting to God. But they still hold a very important place in my life. Jasmine and Gypsy, you are often crazy and wild and goofy and sometimes even frustrating. But, that’s okay. You are my dogs and I love you.
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