(Fur) Babies to the Rescue

It is certainly no secret that I am not a mother, though my heart longs for the moment it happens. I do, however, have two wonderfully loving dogs that fill my heart with joy and satisfaction. Of all the comforts in this time of pain, anger and general disappoint the love and dependence i receive from my dogs has been the strongest.

The most amazing thing about my dogs is that they are keen to every emotional turn I take (and I am no longer ashamed to admit for me it happens rapidly and frequently). Because of the emotional struggles I have faced over these months of infertility disappointments I have been struggling to be therapeutic at work and in Nursing the therapeutic technique is absolutely key, yet after each utterly draining day when I come home and flop down on the couch on the verge of tears my dogs are the first to ever so gently give my spirit a nudge. My Spirit by the way has been known to go MIA quite frequently and disappears for months on end, but my dogs have become professional spirit seekers lately. Last week I had a particularly emotional day at work leaving me questioning whether it was time to leave my profession for something that would require me to be less invested, yet when I arrived home and ran to my bed for a good cry there were my dogs to comfort me. Sophie, our lab, is so gentle and yearns for our direction before making decisions, so she paced around the bed waiting for an invitation, once offered she climbed on the bed with such ease, and her tail went wild as she neared me. Next, she lowered her ears and tucked her head in the concave space hidden in my neck. Her breathing alone is enough to stop my tears. Thai (the Chihuahua), is more aggressive in his movements along with a grandiose sense of entitlement. Naturally he is on the bed before he even knows where I am headed, and he is more concerned with getting his daily doses of kisses then to wait for any command or invitation from dear old mother. He barks with his whole body in an excited convulsion, and at this point I can't help but smile. Then, he gives me a moment to settle as he digs his way under the duvet and tucks himself into a ball between my legs (his favorite place to rest).


I often wonder if canines are a superior breed to human kind. They have an incredible ability to sense all our complex emotions, yet rendered incapable of feeling anything less then love. When I think about my dogs (or dogs in general) I am reminded of  this bible verse:

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 

A dog encompasses all those things in a simple uncomplicated manner without taking pride in their ability to do so nor expecting any credit or even love in return. In the nearly 30 years that I have been on this earth I don't know a single person that covets all those wonderful attributes. Don't get me wrong, my husband is a complete gem in my life, and tries with every fiber of his being, but there is just something refreshing about not having to utter a word, and yet my dogs know my minds deepest emotions with complete accuracy.

So sure I feel cheated out of a womb baby, but every morning I wake and see those adorable pup faces I am reminded of the rich blessings that have been showered upon me. They (along with my husband) make me feel thankfulness, despite everything else, And to top it all off they will be the most amazing protectors of baby when he/she ever decides to grace our lives. There is no doubt in my mind there is a whole lot of awesomeness in store for us!