The Comfort of a Dog

I have never found a more loyal companion than a dog, the endless fountain of unconditional love. I grew up with dogs. We had a series of them when I was a kid. They ran free back then, but always came home, and stayed with us kids when we were outside playing. My parents get adopted by dogs out in the country. They just show up. We think people abandon them, and my parents are such compassionate people, they let them stay. They never have more than one at a time. The current one is Honey, short for Honeycomb. She is a nervous sort, probably had a rough past. She craves attention and can hardly sit still even if you pet her. But she is sitting calmly next to me in the photo, yesterday, on the porch. A rare event. Even a nervous fidgety type like Honey is still a great comfort. It is the love they exude. The affection and those bright, understanding eyes.

My dog Charley knows if one of us is upset and will come sit with us. One day in my grief, I held Charley for a very long time while crying. He just stayed with me, a quiet understanding soul. He is always quietly sitting, or laying nearby wherever I am when I am at home. He gets up dutifully and follows me from room to room, a soothing presence. He can be silly, too, a comic, and make us laugh with his antics. He isn't really trained and he has emotional quirks, but so do we. He fits right in the family. I remember the day I first saw him. He had been rescued as a stray by a friend of mine. He was uncut, with very long, matted hair. He looked like a mop with eyes. I had not had a dog in probably 15 years, but I knew that I had to have this dog. We came back for him the next day. It was just meant to be.

I had my Monday weigh in and I weighed two pounds less than last Monday. I am still losing the April gain but getting close to being even. I feel good that I am not gaining anymore and that I am two pounds away from where I was. If I keep off what I lost it is still a great victory for me. I am using the supplies I froze last weekend still and it is very helpful. I have not been perfect by any means but better. And today better is good enough for me. Still climbing up from the depths but getting better every day.