Something to celebrate
Nearly a decade ago, I had a conversation with my now-husband about how much he wanted to get a dog to take hunting with him.
I was quite against this idea.
Getting a dog, I told him, was akin to having a baby that never grows out of infancy. Dogs, like babies, are totally reliant on their humans.
Plus, I said, I didn’t really like dogs, and thought the feeling was mutual.
Mike laughed. He told me dogs make it their mission to convert those they sense don’t like them.
While I was skeptical about that, I lost the dog battle almost eight years ago when Cooper, a Brittany, came into our home.
We picked him up in Ohio, and I was tasked with holding him on my lap in the passenger seat on the drive home.
He threw up on me. Twice.
It wasn’t a great start, but Mike was right. Cooper frequently spent his time right at my side, and with his sweet disposition and wagging tail, he found his way into my heart.
He converted me not just to “a dog person,” but a “dog mom.” I spoiled him rotten, and continue to do so.
In fact, Cooper did such an incredible job converting me that a couple of years ago, I was the one who suggested we get a second dog.
A rescue pup named Klaus was up for adoption. With wiry yellow hair sticking up in his photo, he looked like a mad scientist.
Because he was rescued from the streets, Klaus needed loads of love, and had to learn that food, toys and cuddles weren’t finite commodities.
He has one person in our home (it’s me) and I’m happy to be the adopted mom for that little fur ball, too.
The love I’ve given to both dogs was paid back in droves this past year. The pandemic meant a transition to working from home. Cooper and Klaus were my company, often jockeying for a seat next to me while I worked. They made frequent appearances on Zoom calls — often at inopportune times — and like children, decided when a phone was to my ear, it was the perfect time to ask for food or a bathroom break.
Still, they made long, stressful days better, just by being present.
I’ll definitely spoil them a little extra this Saturday, which is dedicated to all the dog moms out there.
Other occasions to celebrate this week include:
May 6: World Password Day, National Beverage Day, National Nurses Day
May 7: National Space Day, School Lunch Hero Day
May 8: National Coconut Cream Pie Day, National Babysitter’s Day, National Dog Mom Day
May 9: National Lost Sock Memorial Day, National Sleepover Day, Mother’s Day
May 10: National Clean Up Your Room Day, National Washington Day, National Shrimp Day
May 11: National Eat What You Want Day, National Foam Rolling Day, National Twilight Zone Day
May 12: National Limerick Day, National Odometer Day, National Nutty Fudge Day