I have a puppy. Selah. I LOVE her. No that just doesn't do it justice. I really, really LOVE her. It should be no surprise to those who know me that my second post would be about her. Selah is a 6 year old Boxer I've had since she was 8 weeks old. I had never owned a dog before, but she was just so cute. And what could be so tough about owning a dog?
Life with Selah is an adventure. Let's review. She came to me with kennel cough which racked up huge vet bills quickly. She refused to sleep in her kennel so I spent weeks "sleeping" on the floor next to her with my hand thru the cage (solution: she sleeps with me). She had her cornea punctured playing with another dog which led to major eye surgery. She failed puppy training 5 weeks in a row ... Shall I go on? She greets all guests with barking, licking and jumping (sufficiently humiliating her owner); she chases the mailman until we get warning letters from USPS and have our mail withheld; and because of Selah USPS enforced a neighborhood policy that all dogs had to be inside if people wanted their mail delivered. She tracks dirt all over the house, has allergies which make her perpetually itchy, has a sensitive stomach so she eats a complicated mixture of expensive food, and on and on. The adjustment to becoming a dog owner was immense.
BUT, how do I express to you why I love her? It doesn't make much sense. But she has given me so much unconditional love and so much joy. She continues to inspire me and remind me to celebrate the sweetness of Life, every single teeny-tiny detail.
Some of my sweetest Selah moments: She licks tears off my face. She cuddled at my feet while I had the stomach flu one year. She's taken endless long walks with me during months of unemployment. When I walk in the door after any length of time, she wiggles, bounces, and bends like a kidney bean all over. She wags her two inch stubby tail, but it simply won't go fast enough so her whole body joins in to express her overabundance of joy!
Truly every part of Selah's day is significant enough to REJOICE in. She...
Smiles a huge, goofy, jowly, slobbery smile after a passionate run (wiggles her tail)
Inhales her food like it is the first time she has tasted it (wiggles her tail)
Takes naps in the forbidden white chair (wiggles her tail)
Charges at the cat to make her run (wiggles her tail)
Positions herself for a tummy rub (wiggles her tail)
Instigates a wrestling match (wiggles her tail)
Steals chocolate (wiggles her tail)
She loves affection and attention and believes no one can do wrong. She trusts completely. She has no pride. Isn't afraid to communicate what she needs. Embraces fun with no fear. Gives her affection freely and without prejudice. And she isn't aware that sometimes she is totally uncool, but if she knows she couldn't care less. She wiggles her tail.
As for me, I struggle with fear. I worry. I exert plenty of energy to save face in front of others. I don't always know how to love or be open to being loved. I am not cool, and while most days I don't care, sometimes it sure would be nice to have some cool points! But with my sweet pooch around I am reminded to set aside my worries and to laugh deeply. To Remember that each day is a Gift from the Lord. And His mercies are new each morning. If only I had a tail.
PS. Selah smells like freshly baked tortilla chips when she wakes up from long naps. I couldn't love her more!
