A canine one, that is.
Thing is, I’m not really a dog person. For the past 8 years we’ve kept cats.
I love cats. They are aloof, non-demanding and if you can forgive the once-in-awhile vomit they leave on the stairs, they are the perfect pet. Our cat Rosie doesn’t need a lot from me except for a warm place to sleep, food and water and the occasional between-the-ear-rub. She sits in my lap (on her terms) and lets me cuddle her (when SHE feels like it) and takes up half of my space on my bed (when she chooses to grace us with her presence at night).
I give her some and she gives me some. And it isn’t much.
This DOG on the other hand is a LOT of work.
And she’s a good dog too. She’s a five-year-old female Golden Retriever named Flower who follows me around the downstairs constantly, torments the cat and pants with her hot breath on my hand when I’m trying to write a blog post. She has been impeccably trained by the original owners and is obedient to hand gestures and voice commands. She hasn’t shown a hint of aggression (our household feline notwithstanding) and her favorite thing that we’ve discovered so far is rolling around on the floor with the girls.
She is, however, much more demanding than any cat I’ve ever known and far outshines our still-alive goldfish in time and energy. She needs fed and walked twice a day. Her vet and grooming bills (the first time around at least) were painful. She is in constant need of affection and must at all times, be in the presence of the family. She will not tolerate being left out of anything fun. And we won’t even talk about the scooping that has to be done in the back yard.
But I’m learning that the return on my investment is worth it.
Unlike the cat (who will always be the queen of our house in her minuscule mind), Flower seems to give real, solid, tangible love. She responds to affection and intentional care and simply watching the girls interact with her has been amazing to witness. As my father-in-law put it, Flower seems to diffuse the intensity in our family. She’s been the best thing for us. I have a partner for my early morning runs and she listens to everything I have to say.
And my husband? He’s seriously falling in love with her more every day.
Anything worth having costs something.
Including a horse-sized hairy dog that secretly sleeps on my sofa at night when no one is looking. And one who’s stolen my heart.
A family. A relationship. A job. A child. An education. A healthy body. They all cost something. And sometimes there’s even pain involved.
But when we invest time and energy into good things like people and community and our relationships with God, the return far outweighs the cost.
So today, invest where you need to. But be prepared: your heart might be stolen in the process.
****And the winner of my last giveaway (sniff, sniff) is Whitney Bray. She says her favorite thing about the holiday was:
Just being with my children. Staying in our pj’s for 2 days.
And I’d have to agree (except we didn’t stay in our pjs, although I WISH we would have.) Congrats Whitney! Bake us something from Dorie, okay?
Flower is adorable! So glad you’re finding her to be worth the work. We brought a gld rtrvr mix home two weeks ago — very uncertain of how our other dog would react — and it’s turning into a very good thing (with a lot of work!). Enjoy your new family member.
Sarah,
I would LOVE a dog but as you have said ti’s a HUGE commitment. We will see.
You are so funny! I grew up on a farm and was a “NO PETS IN THE HOUSE” person and then I got married. My husband was a city boy and always had pets in the house all the time. I vowed we would NEVER have pets. When we first met, his cat was in bad heatlh and had to be put down. I admit I wasn’t real sad. We got married, had kids and I made the mistake of going to the Humane Society — that was the start of our collection of cats. I refer to them as the TOP GUN KITTIES: Maverick, Goose and Iceman! I LOVE CATS, even in the house.
Sarah,
Our house is now graced with a 70 lb. black lab! I was never a dog person! Our youngest son who is 8 (he will be 9 in 2 days) was so fearful of dogs of any size. We would not go to anyones house who had dogs, would play with friends outside because of his fear of dogs. In May of this year he wanted to start looking at puppies, I was really not on board but my= husband thought it would not hurt to just look. In July we picked up our 7 week old black lab puppy! Boy was I in for a surprise. Our son and Jackson (the puppy) have bonded like nothing I have ever seen. He is still timid around other dogs but that to is slowly going away. He now plays outside with his friends. Although, we got Jackson in July this was truly our Christmas miracle. To see our son playing with his friends and not fearful, was truly the best gift this year. But I will agree Jackson is a ton of work.
that is awesome Sarah! We have an almost 13 yr. old golden retriever/black lab mix and she is A-MA-ZING. They are the best breed of a dog, in my opinion. Perfect for the kids and she truly does give unconditional love. Her name is Onyx and she is just such a love. I know exactly how you are feeling….enjoy it all.
yah…so…i have a little 9 lb yorkie that could be added to your mix. hes very friendly and also impeccably trained.
great. i’ll send him, stat.
We have a maltese, Jack Bauer James, that is literally part of the family. He will always be my first born
It’s amazing how you can fall in love with a dog! You’re so right…you invest in them and they steal your heart!
Investing when there is no guarantee on a return for yourself…easier said than done! It is however our eternal calling. Oh for the grace to invest without a thought to myself. I must also agree with you that the best things in life are the things we have waited for, struggled for, and given of ourselves for. Thank you for your challenge to invest all that we are into the people we care most about!
Oh Sarah, she is just beautiful. I will, til the day I die, have a huge soft spot in my heart for Goldie’s! My 1st dog owned (once moved out on my own) was one that looked much like Flower (that dark reddish color). His name was Maverick. Fondly named after Tom Cruise’s character “handle” in Top Gun. Does that date me? I so did not deserve the love he showered on me & the protection he willingly offered as I was a young, sowing-her-oats girl, who rarely gave back 1/10th of what I was given. Some day I hope to have the chance to own another one as they are such amazing creatures.
Great post Sarah!! I enjoyed this one immensely and gleaned a bit of good advice from it too… imagine that! I chuckled out loud to myself while reading and relating to your humorous and truthfully accurate portrayal of the cost of love. Really a great post indeed.
she is BEAUTIFUL!!!
they are work but worth it. goldens are the best!! so gentle. ours have been great with the kids. glad you are enjoying her.
“And sometimes there’s even pain involved.” So true. Thank you for this post.
oh my dang, she’s beautiful! an i’m not even a big-dog girl!