It was roughly 12:10pm on a late Spring afternoon. I was  standing at the door to my house, having come home for lunch but finding myself locked out and no one was answering to the doorbell.  It was an unusual break from what had been a rather consistent routine for much of my younger life – the lunch bell would ring and I would walk home to meet my Mom for lunch, typically accompanied by The Price is Right and The Flintstones.  So why not today?  Where was my Mom?  Where was my Dad? Where were Bob, Fred, Barney, Wilma and Betty?!  I stood there a few minutes questioning what to do, contemplating if I should go back to school, head to a neighbours, or sit and wait, when I saw a car coming around the corner, distinctly ours – the classic beaver-panelled cutlass cruiser I remember so well.  I could see the clear image of my mom in the driver’s seat, no one sitting passenger or in the back…but then something popped up in the windows of the back that changed my childhood forever.  Yes, my mom had brought home a dog.

Clearly more than forgiven for not being home for lunch right when I arrived, my Mom had just made me the happiest kid imaginable, and for the next several years of our lives Holly, as she came to us, was a core part of our family.  I won’t sit here and proclaim that I was always the best at taking care of her when I was younger – I broke the promise that all kids make to ensure she was always walked, fed, and that the yard was regularly tended to.  My brother and I did our part, sure; we walked her from time to time, played in the snow and the leaves, and I made sure to cuddle her for the night during the many storms that frightened her so.  Yet with all of that, I know in my heart of hears that Holly was truly my Dad’s dog.  He cared for her and loved her in the subtle ways that I think let her know who her true caregiver was.  When she passed away it was tough for all of us – my brother and I both away at college – but I feel it was hardest for him more than anyone.

Bringing a dog into the home is an act that you know will have a difficult ending that the whole family will need to face at some point.  You’re bringing in a member to the family, one who will become part of your every day routine, and one who you will knowingly see to and care for from the beginning to the end of their life.  Anyone who has had a pet of any kind and for any length of time, can attest to the gut punch that it is when the day comes to make a difficult decision.  Until that day though, I’m not sure there’s a greater joy (outside of actual human family) that can be brought into the home, and it was one of the first moves that Alison and I made when we bought our first home, and I’ll always love Zina for the funny, lazy, curious little fur baby that she was.

The girls didn’t get much time with Zina; she passed when they were only 2 and 3, but even though they were young and their memories may be few, they speak of her often and they speak of her fondly.  I’m admittedly not sure which of these stories are actual memories and which are them latching on to Alison and I informing them of what life was like, but they would both swear up and down that they can vividly remember riding on Zina’s back, that she would eat lying down, and that she far preferred sleep over a walk any day of the week; who am I to argue when what they are sharing could not be more accurate to the truth?

It wasn’t long after she passed that we found ourselves asking, not “will we get another dog?” but “should we get another dog?”.  The reality hit that having two kids 15-months apart, owning a business, starting a new job, and living in a new house in a new town makes for a busy life, and the idea of bringing a dog back into our lives so quickly felt like ‘one too many things’….which Alison and I never do, and so we made the very purposeful decision to leave our core family life at an even four members.  It meant that we didn’t have to worry so much about finding a dog sitter when we go away, and that we could freely take on extra curricular’s before, after and during work/school without having to figure out how to or who will feed the pup between events.  In other words: we decided not to take on all of the responsibilities and busy-schedule of having a dog so that we could take on all of the potential for responsibilities and busy schedule of not having a dog. #beandrickslife.

Now let’s fast-forward a few years, up to November 2nd to be precise. Nora’s birthday.  A Sunday.  The day that Starla came home.

It didn’t happen through begging, or nagging, or admittedly any real longing, but rather through happenstance.  Details in this story are not ones that support the point of this post, suffice to say a casual conversation between friends turned into serious discussion at home, a series of text messages, a handful of family meetings, the seeking out of advice from some friends, another serious discussion at home, and then a final decision.  Of course, we didn’t make this decision quickly, like in a week or so, no no no, we never do that – we took many months to deliberate, plan, coordinate, blah, blah, blah….ha!  That’s not our style – within a week our minds were made up, we told the girls, and we had made at least a dozen trips to the pet store.  I think we took longer to decide which colour collar to get than we did on deliberating whether or not this was a good idea or not.  I mean, there’s not really a question of ‘good idea’ or ‘bad idea’, but more a question of ‘how ridiculous are we willing to get right now?’  As always, no matter what we decide – we make the most of it.

It has only been a few short weeks, but in the time she has been with us, our family and our home has grown officially to happy, joyous five.  The girls have taken to responsibility (for now), and I’ve been reminded once again of how I felt that day in grade 5, when I traded the highs and lows of Plinko for the love of a new companion.

The way she arrived to us is a story for another day, and one that comes with its whole own set of feels.  She came to us with a heart and life full of love, and to those through whom this tale came to be – please know that love stays with her and continues to grow every day.  Thank you.