Pets

Me an my dog ShyeAnne

Pets are a boon and a bonus for anyone blessed to have the company of one, or many, in their lifetime.

I have an abundance of memories of dogs our family had when I was a child.

I choose to believe the spirits of those dogs that have passed on surrounds me.

Countless times I have poured my heart out to a dog. I once had a half hour conversation with a dog that was standing in the doorway of a bar I was getting drunk in during a trip to Hyder, Alaska. A story for another day. Perhaps.


Through all my years, I have seldom been without an animal, usually a dog, companion.

I used to apologise to my dogs, commiserating with them that 'It must be tough to be Shelley's dog."

My dogs wore many hats; companions, guardians, listeners, and providers of love.

A dog's love is unconditional. I felt a profound love for each and every animal that touched my life.

My childhood consisted of a wealth of wildly imbalanced experiences. Some days were great.

All of us kids were clothed, fed, entertained, and loved, with all our needs met.

Some days we could be sitting on my Grandpa's knee, content with the World.

The slides into dysfunctional circumstances were seldom gradual. When the tides turned in our home it was more often than not a tsunami, there were no gently rolling waves in our house.

One day all would be well, the next day might find me peeking out from behind a piece of furniture, watching my tiny, (even to me) little Mom, ( I was approximately four years old at the time), looming over my drunken, cringing Grandfather who was lying on the floor. She was brandishing a liquor bottle she had just smashed the bottom off, and was threatening to clobber him with it if he ever touched my Dad again.  The impetus behind her actions was that Grandpa had just finished beating the crap out of my Dad, who lay bleeding in a corner of the kitchen.

Ya, a tsunami. In a heartbeat.

Sanity, such as our family defined it anyway, would then return as quickly as it had fled a few short hours before.

Just another day.

Many a dog, many a day, helped me create and hold on to the fact that there is tons of love in the world. Love comes from many sources.  When my parents weren't up to the task, I am very grateful I most often had a dog to fill my need to love and be loved.

Unconditionally.

Every person deserves to experience the unconditional love of a dog.

Thanks for reading my blog.

Make it a Great Day!