It came to me
that every time I lose a dog they
take a piece of my heart with them.
And every new dog that comes into
my life gifts me with a piece of
their heart. If I live long enough,
all the components of my heart
will be dog, and I will become
as generous and loving as they
are.
If I Didn't Have Dogs...
I could walk around the yard
barefoot in safety.
My
house could be carpeted instead
of tiled and laminated.
All flat surfaces, clothing,
furniture, and cars would be
free of hair.
When the doorbell rings, it
wouldn't sound like a kennel.
When the doorbell rings, I could
get to the door without wading
through fuzzy bodies who beat
me there.
I could sit on the couch and
my bed the way I wanted, without
taking into consideration how
much space several fur bodies
would need to get comfortable.
I
would have money...
and no
guilt to go on a real vacation.
I would not be on a first-name
basis with 6 veterinarians, as
I put their yet unborn grand
kids through college.
The most used words in my vocabulary
would not be: out, sit, down,
come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it
ALONE.
My house would not be cordoned
off into zones with baby gates
or barriers.
My house would not look like
a day care center, toys everywhere.
My pockets would not contain
things like poop bags, treats
and an extra leash.
I
would no longer have to spell
the words B-A-L-L,F-R-I-S-B-E-E,
W-A-L-K, T-R-E-A-T, B-I-K-E,
G-O, R-I-D-E , H-O-M-E D-E-P-O-T,
C-L-O-V-E-R-S
I would not have as many leaves
INSIDE my house as outside.
I would not look strangely at
people who think having ONE dog/cat
ties them down too much.
I'd look forward to spring and
the rainy season instead of dreading
'mud' season.
I would not have to answer the
question 'Why do you have so
many animals?' from people who
will never have the joy in their
lives of knowing they are loved
unconditionally by someone as
close to an angel as they will
ever get.
How utterly EMPTY my
life would be!
My
cup, you see, is always at
least half full.
March
7, 7:30, 
