Author Christopher Morley said, "No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as the dog does." The best days of my Father's life were spent alone with his dogs. Whether he was out in the woods with his bird dogs, laying out in the backyard in his hammock under the trees, or riding down the road with his dogs perched in his lap or looking out the window, those were the best times of my Father's life.
When I was growing up and even as I grew older, I never really understood the relationship my father had with his dogs. My father passed away over eight years ago and only one of his dogs remain. One of his dogs, a Rat Terrier named Pee Wee, outlasted my father by about five years and lived to be 18 years old. I think the poor dog waited around as long as he could to see if my Father would come back. That dog had a will to live unlike any other living creature I have ever seen.
As I am about to turn 50 later this year, I am finally beginning to understand the relationship my Father had with his dogs. I spend a lot of time alone with Molly because of my work schedule and I could not ask for a better companion, my girlfriend not withstanding. Mr. Morley is right in the fact that Molly knows everything about me, all of my ideas, fears, and concerns, and she still follows me wherever I go, and I follow her. It is a true symbiotic relationship and as Molly's life winds down, I appreciate the time I spend with her more and more every day. I feel totally blessed when Molly and I wake every day and are able to go on one of our walks and I can bounce my ideas off of her.
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