Brownie Rocks!

This pup is the most awesome being in the entire universe known or unknown.  She is the furry daughter who will never roll her eyes at me.  She greets Ax with full body wags and licks that result in both of them squealing with joy — whether it’s after a whole night apart or only a few minutes.  

She is his willing protege, eager to hear all he has to tell her about the world, fascinated by all he does.  She is my devoted delight, a gift like none other. 

And of course Mike and she have their own special bond, though he jokes that she is clearly more into me at this point.  I need her more, she gets that.  

She gives him the big hello and enjoys his company, but not quite as much as mine, which I’ll admit is somewhat gratifying.  

After years of Ax’s doggie-like adoration of and devotion to his father and his loving, but not all that thrilling, relationship with me, it’s nice for me to be the most compelling person in our puppy’s life.  She’s into me.  I’m into her.

Her early rising has become the push I needed to get more quiet conscious time before sun up.  Her need for outdoor play has gotten our family to engage in more outdoor play.  

What seemed a chore has become a welcome discipline and added structure.  What seemed burdensome challenges have become a natural part of life. 

To all those who said a puppy was as much or more work than a baby: You were right.  To all those who said a dog will open our hearts like nothing else: You were right.

Our beloved departed cat Cleo, I’m convinced, sent Brownie to us as a gift from beyond.  The lesson our kitty taught me in her last days — that it is okay to love with abandon even in the face of difficulty, to let myself completely love my imperfect animal as she is — has served me so well with Brownie.  

I don’t have to wait until death is upon her to love her as if this could be our last day together.  I can love her that way now and enjoy the flow of that energy today and maybe for several years to come. 

Cleo will forever hold the title of  “the best pet ever,” and Brownie has already been deemed by Ax, “The best pup pet ever,”

careful to preserve Cleo’s place of honor in our memory. It’s week seven since she joined our family and I can’t imagine life without her.  I don’t want to. Brownie rocks.  I’m gonna keep going.

www.livingeveryminuteofit.com