Arggggh. Now I have to stop making fun of all my dog-loving friends. I’ve always liked our dog. We named her Mercy because we got her at a time in life when God had shown tremendous mercy to us. It was kind of a do-over for us, a fresh start. And, so, of course, we got a dog. (Sheesh.)
Mercy is a hunting dog, though. Built to swim icy lakes and fetch ducks. My husband, Wendell, built her a luxurious kennel in the back yard with an expensive igloo of a dog house built to withstand twenty below temperatures.
She has spent much of this winter-that-will-not-end inside our garage.
Then, she got sick. The kind of sick that makes a middle aged dog stop eating and tremble when she tries to stand. On the afternoon Wendell was going to take her to the vet, I stopped in the garage to say good-bye. I thought it was probably forever.
“You’ve been a good dog to us, Mercy,” I said. “A better dog to us than we have been people to you. I’m sorry about that.” I cried most of the way to the office.
And then, she survived. One expensive surgery later, she trotted out of the vet’s clinic and tucked her head under my arm, wagging her whole body with delight. And so it began.
I don’t like her anymore. I love her. In that crazy, obsessive, pet-person way where I scramble her eggs to tempt her appetite and reach out to touch her head on my knee as I write.
I do not understand this fierce, maternal feeling toward a creature who eats out of the bathroom trash when left unsupervised. But I know this, Mercy is a really good dog. And, she is making me better people.
It’s so ridiculously true. Macy thinks heaven on earth will be when we have have lions and cheetahs for pets. She’s probably right.
Kathy, I love this about your dog Mercy. I can relate to her love for her. My dog, Cuddles, is a young dog. I had to put her in a kennel while I had a hip replacement in Dec. When I was released from the hospital, relatives stayed overnight with me for a couple of nights, then I stayed by myself. That night I was so lonely that I was almost in a panic. Even though I had made arrangements for her stay in the kennel for a month, I went that very day to get her. My goodness how I loved her and she loved me! I have not been lonely since. What a comfort she is.
So while I’m reading this and grinning, Lily is attacking her bed by my chair, and her tail is literally wagging across the key board………need I say more about how my do and I feel about each other? LOL !!!
Now, you know I LOVE this! I am a crazy pet person (however I do think some people go overboard), and you have entered my realm – this post just makes me go ahhh. Normally I would say every little boy needs a dog – but us empty nest mom’s need them just as much!
I knew I could count on all my dog-lovin’ friends to support me. Thanks, friends! (and keep me semi-balanced, okay?)