PARALLEL LIVES

Most of you will probably think I'm ready for the little men in the white coats once you've read this blog. No matter. I find a commonality and for some unexplainable reason I decided to share. Please do not judge me. Just pass it off as holiday stress and advancing age.

One day I was sitting at my desk when these thoughts suddenly found their way to my brain. There is a validity to them even though I suppose I'm comparing apples to oranges.

Dakota and I are both rescue entities - one from the animal world and one from the human world. My mother didn't want me when I was born and offered me to hospital personnel. She finally left me there. The State required my siblings to pick me up and care for me for a certain amount of time and then I was turned over to the State. They placed me in a foster home. Eventually I was moved to an adoption agency where I was finally adopted.

Dakota was displaced because his owner could no longer take care of him and he was taken to a pet store and boarded until he was retrieved by a foster person in Iowa and eventually adopted by me.

Dakota is old. I am old. I need him. He needs me. We have similar needs, likes, and dislikes. We understand one another. We feed off of each other, support each other, and share our lives.

It's a perfect solution for us. Our days are filled with things we both love to do. I talk, he understands. I give, he returns 100 fold. I thank him with a hug, he thanks me with a smile, wet face lick, and asks for more. Our "love-in" continues 24/7. We know when each is "down." We both do our best to "make it better." When we are happy, we are very, very happy. When we are sad, we try to hide it. We accept each others weaknesses and we take delight in the strengths.

But most of all we TRUST one another. You cannot always say that when you are talking dog to dog or human to human.

We wish you a very happy holiday season and may your new year bring you good fortune and dreams come true.