The Little Man in my Life

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. -Roger Caras






A little over a year ago....I decided to take the plunge and commit myself to the man of my dreams. Some thought that I would never settle down.....but it took a special guy to bring me over to the other side!


Winston was small, a little hairy and liked to kiss alot. He snored (which took a while to get used too) and demanded a lot of attention. Once we got over the initial "getting to know you" phase of living together....we really set into a nice routine. We would get up in the mornings and have breakfast and usually he would hold down the fort as I went off to work. After work we would usually take a nice walk or hang out at the dog park to see all of his friends. Some nights we would even hang on the couch and watch a little TV....depending what we were in the mood for.
Oh we have had our differences for sure. For example......Winston is not one for sharing. He never likes to share his food, toys or even his time with me. Whenever I bring a friend home he is very funny in the way he handles them. Usually he nibbles....whines or even throws a toy at them to see if they are going to pay him the attention he so deserves (at least he thinks!). We are slowly working on "sharing" Mom......and perhaps in the future he will come to understand that he is not always the center of attention. Of course...I have to admit....I am kind of an attention grabber myself....so maybe he learned a little of that from me!

All in all I would not trade the little guy for the world. I always tell everyone he is by far the best investment I have ever made in my life. He has brought so much joy and peace to me and has allowed me to experience life as it should be. He has also taught me a very simple lesson: "Don't sweat the small stuff". Before he came along I was so anal about being neat, organized and "to the tee" on every detail of life. Ok...maybe I still am a little tight on some of those things....but for the most part I have lightened my load a great deal. Winston has taught me the beauty of unconditional love and the spirit of giving. I no longer always think of myself ....in fact I would do anything for him. It pains me to have to put him in the kennel, leave him at home or ever see him suffer.

God works in mysterious ways. I know I am a slow learner and most definitely a slow student in the world of marriage, children, etc. However I believe that Winston was a gift given to me later in life to prepare for the future. I am more confident than ever now that I can "live" with someone else, that I can love and I most certainly have the tools to give of myself to others. So on this day, I say thank you to the Little Man in My Life, Winston!

Ahh...Pooh! Love you!