Addie

Seven years ago we stopped at a flea market. There, looking up from a little cage on the ground, was a puppy. We had two dogs at home and didn’t need another one, but I took one look and then there was no turning back. She was covered with fleas and had a crooked tail that looked like it had been broken. Turned out she also had worms, ear mites, an irregular heartbeat, an extra toe . . . and a spirit of boundless love wagging that tiny beagle body.

 

She came, she saw, she conquered! Now she is the queen of just about everything. She runs the place, we just live here! Definitely independent, Addie’s her own girl and no pushover. But if you’re in with her, you’re really in.

 

She’s my best buddy and I couldn’t imagine my life without her. We understand each other completely. When I come in, even if I’ve only been gone a few minutes, it’s cause for an enormous, all-out celebration! She greets me as if I were the only one in the world and she’d been waiting forever to meet me! I greet her the same way. She’s smart enough to know that people don’t always come back and it really IS a joyful thing to see a face you love again. What a sweet world it would be if people could only remember that and were not so afraid to show all the love they keep hidden inside.

 

We operate the same way, really – we both lead with our hearts. And there’s no halfway, when we like something or someone. It’s coming at you full speed, sort of sideways and with enough enthusiasm to bowl you over! Some people get a little nervous, take a couple steps back and start looking for the exit. But the ones who grin, hold their ground and open their arms, have a friend for life. : )

 

Done