My sister used to have a dog named Rusty. He was mostly a miniature Terrier, but he was the smartest and most human dog I have ever met. If he would see me playing with another dog, he wouldn’t look angry–no, he’d look at me with eyes that let me know just how much I had disappointed him. “You’re mine!” he seemed to be trying to say. “Why are you spending time with that other dog?” My mom kept a wonderful photo of him on her kitchen table. I nicknamed him “Rustoleum” after something my dad kept in the cellar that I never quite understood.
When the world is dark and work doesn’t go well and life overall is haywire, a pet, including dogs and cats, can put a smile back on your face. You walk in the door, and they don’t care if you’ve gained weight or got the boss mad or had a flat tire. They just love you. “I’m so glad you’re home!” they seem to be saying. “Spend time with me!” And they know just how to distract you from the cares of the day.
When my brother Captain Randy Hall was in the Sligo Adventist Nursing and Rehab Center in Takoma Park while recovering from his auto accident last fall, there was a lady who came around on a regular basis who had dogs who would visit the patients. You would see the faces just brighten up when they would pay attention to the regular residents as well as those only there on a temporary basis.
Sadly, I can’t have pets where I live. Then too, I’m probably not home enough of the time to keep a pet company even if I had one. But I often think about past pet friends I’ve had the pleasure of knowing, and I miss them all, including Cindy (the first dog I ever knew as a friend), German Shepherd Daisy (who lived with me when I shared a townhouse in Laurel), the aforementioned Rusty and Scott Klein‘s black cat Missy among them. Or I imagine making new buddies who can stay with me for a while.
There was a wonderful series of books written by James Herriott back in the 1980s. He was a veterinarian in Scotland, and he could tell a wonderful and true tale. His stories about animals made me laugh and cry. I’m glad he introduced me to a whole batch of new friends in the animal world.
But if you have a pet, treasure him or her. Even if they live 12 or 13 years, it will never be long enough. And, as Mr. Herriott often said, if you lose your pet friend, nothing will ever take their place. But you can always get to know a new buddy who may brighten your life in new and fun ways!
For today’s video, here’s a cute dog piece. Sorry, Lorenzo, I know cute is not your style!