My Pleasure

Buddy cloning Johnny Depp.   I photo-shopped this for the kids.

I was looking through some journal prompt earlier this morning and one asked “What gives you pleasure”. Well obvious answer for me was my family. Especially my Starloves.

I was thinking it over as I was retrieving Buddy’s lead from its hook to take him on his daily walk.
That is, it I thought. One of things that has bought the most immense pleasure in my life have been my dogs.

Practically they have kept me fit, showered me with love and adoration, like no human ever has. I have learned obedience, from them, patience, but most of all the secret joy of simple things. Like curling up in an arm chair. Enjoying food. Stretching out in front of the heater. Belonging to a community/family. Being tactile, even down to a simple pat on the head. The importance of praise. Loyalty and even a bit of wisdom along the way.

There have been four main players in my life. My darling grey cross Maltese, Misha. Her adoring boyfriend pure bred Malt, Mannie. My sweet and courageous King Charles Cavalier, Poppy Angel and now Buddy the Beagle.
All of them have contributed their love and their souls to me and my welfare during their lives. I have mourned Mish, Mannie and Poppy from depths of my being. They have all been my children.

And here I am with Buddy. He was the victim of marriage breakup, with nowhere to go. So, I took him in. The children could visit him whenever the wanted and did and still do. I never expected to fall head over heels in love with him. But bit by bit he took little pieces of my heart into himself and eventually owned it completely.

He is a beautiful companion. He makes me laugh a lot. He is not a lap dog but does like a bit of loving. We walk together every day and I watch the sheer joy of him as he comes off his lead at the park so he can enjoy being a dog. He dances when he knows he going on adventure and that can be a simple as walking over to my daughters. She lives just across the driveway.

So there it is Sandy, this is what gives you pleasure. The sweet companionship of one the most incredible species on the planet. Oh, and I mustn’t forget Molly the Cat, who thought she was a dog, but that is a whole other entry.