Hello, everyone, I'm new to the forums. I joined for Lucy, who's gone from me, but this post is all about Josie -- and believe me, she likes it like that! I thought for my first post on this site, I could start with a little happiness before doing any heavy lifting.
She's a seven-year-old silky terrier my mother got from the Humane Society to help with my now-deceased grandmother's depression. Mom and I share Josie now. Mom keeps her during the week while I'm at work, and I get my beautiful little bundle of joy on the weekends. She adores me, and I her!
I just get such a kick out of her. She can be lying on my sofa, just dozing away, and all I have to do is lean over her and whisper, "Josie, you wanna go for a walk?" or even just "Josie...walk", and she's up like a shot. No 'in-between' sleep and wakefulness -- I mean, she's up and bouncing and ready and wondering what's taking me so long and barking and dancing and running in circles...and I'm not kidding, she was snoring a nano-second previously! Incredible. She sleeps in bed with me at night, and if I open my eyes during the night, SHE'S UP! SHE'S READY FOR A WALK! And I have to explain to her that no, honey, you're mistaken...it's only 2:30 in the morning, we don't go for walks at 2:30 in the morning, come here by me and let's cuddle.
Then the licking begins. Does anyone here have dogs that lick - a lot?? I let her for a while, then it's time to stop. But if I didn't stop her, she'd lick me until morning. One night, I lay there letting her lick my neck, and thought, "What would I have named you if you'd been mine from a puppy?" I thought Licker, then Liquor, then Brandy. I'd have named her Brandy, 'cause she's a Licker!!
But her name is Josie, and Josie she shall remain!
Now that I have her, I see squirrels again. And I catch sight of more rabbits. And birds. And other dogs - how she loves other dogs! Some like her back, and I rejoice with her; others aren't ready to like her yet, and I'm disappointed for her, because she truly is a sociable little girl! I sometimes wonder if her feelings are hurt if another dog doesn't take to her right away, and I wish I could explain to her that maybe we just caught that dog on a bad day. But in no time, she's trotting along again -- little Josie Sweet-Feet with her quick, dainty little steps -- eyes open for another adventure. So resilient, like a helium balloon -- nothing can keep her down for long!
Now that I have her, things that used to upset me or make me angry don't upset me so much anymore. Silly as this may sound, I wonder how Josie would react to the annoying situation I'm facing, and I get the feeling she'd say, confused, "And that's a bad thing? I should be mad about that?" And then I think that maybe the annoying thing isn't the be-all and the end-all I see it as. And I'm more apt to let it go.
Now that I have her, I get down on the floor and play. I haven't done that in more than 20 years. Adults don't do that! But this one does now. Last Saturday night, I came home from having dinner out to find an overjoyed little pooch literally falling over herself to greet me. Don't you just love those greetings, everyone? Aren't they the greatest?? And I got down with her on the floor and we played with a big blanket. I got under the blanket and rose up on my knees with the folds over my head and picked her up and went over backwards, and we wrestled and played and just acted altogether foolish. And it was fun. Innocent, joyful, playful fun, and it's been years since the only thing in the world I wanted was a blanket and a dog. And there they were -- everything in the world.
(Everything but Lucy, but don't think about that, not right now. Josie is to be loved in her own right, and she is).
Sometimes, when I'm on the sofa reading and Josie is nestled in beside me, I think of how hard it must have been for her previous mama to give her up. The woman had to surrender her to the Humane Society because she had to move somewhere where animals weren't allowed, and apparently there was no one else who could take Josie. The woman wrote a long letter that came with Josie, telling of her likes and dislikes and what a special dog she is, and my heart breaks every time I think of how hard it must have been to write that letter. We've heeded each thing, and I think we can say that Josie has adapted to us very well, and loves us now as we love her. She's landed safe with us, surrounded by people all too willing to let her be a constant center of attention!
But sometimes, I'll stop my reading and look at Josie. And then I lean over her and whisper to her, "You know, Josie, your first mama loved you very much. And if, a long long time from now at Rainbow Bridge, you run to her first before you run to me...well, I'll understand completely, little girl. I'll completely understand."
(There are tears in my eyes now, so on a lighter note -- Josie watches T.V., and pays particular attention to Animal Planet, when I have the endurance level to turn it on -- she lunges for the television set at the sight of any animal, real or cartoon, and pierces the heavens with her barking! I've never seen anything quite like it...)
I miss Lucy. I love Josie.
I'm grateful to have found this site. Thanks for reading (if anybody reads this! ). It's nice to just get it out there.
Regards and love to all,
--Michelle