|
 Zookie,
my unexpected new family member
By John Castelein
Send a link to a friend
[February 25, 2024]
There is something, or should I say “someone,”
I just didn’t see coming!?
As happens in many families after the death of a spouse, I gradually
have been losing touch with the family of my first wife, Marie. At
the same time, I have been warmly embraced and made to feel accepted
in the family, and among the friends of my second wife, Karen
(formerly) Hargis.
|
|
 Karen’s
son, Scott, is a great guy and we have developed, as may have been
expected, a strong friendship based on mutual respect and liking.
What has been totally unexpected is how I have bonded with Zookie,
Karen’s 6-year-old Yorkie!
Now you need to understand that I did not grow up with a dog or
around dogs. Of course, I knew friends who had dogs and cats whom
they loved like family, but I just didn’t get it. How can one relate
to an animal with an affection that comes anywhere near to the
affection one has for fellow human beings?
Well, let me tell you! Pets have the amazing ability to capture your
heart and your mind!
First of all, you need to know that Zookie is a beautiful little
dog. She weighs about 6 pounds, and she stands about 7 inches tall.
She has a darker coat on her back with very light brown short-haired
fur on her belly. I think she is just the right weight for her
size—not too fat and not too skinny.
Oh yes, she has mesmerizing deep brown eyes that at times can look
pleading, reproachful, angry, or loving! Her fluffy ears are usually
relaxed but any unexpected or suspicious sounds make her ears come
to full attention—like the rustling of the cookie bag in the
kitchen.
Honestly, Zookie has incredible hearing. She can be sound asleep in
the entry way while I tiptoe to the kitchen and very gently lift the
foil off the Chips Ahoy bag. And--there she is, prancing all around
me, with shiny, eager, expectant eyes!
Her nose brings a whole other dimension to her world
that we humans lack. Even when we turn her loose in the yard to do
her “business,’ she always finds a place to sniff and to explore.
Surreptitiously, I even find her regularly smelling my fingers and
even my breath for any suspicion of leftover food.
Recently Zookie has taken to announcing her arrival
in the yard with quick barking! However, I am learning to understand
her doggie language. Licking her lips means: “I’m hungry. Feed me
NOW! I expect food soon!” Wagging her tail exclaims: “Aren’t we
having fun?” Even when we are wrestling on the floor (something she
insists on every day), and she is ravaging my fingers with her sharp
little teeth while growling fiercely, she regularly stops to lick my
hands and my nose just to assure me “this is all part of the game
we’re playing, you know?!”
[to top of second column] |
At first, I patted myself on the back thinking what a
nice control I had achieved with Karen’s dog, feeding her, giving
her timely potty breaks, playing with her, etc. But then it finally
dawned on me some months ago: actually, she is the boss, and she has
trained me to wait on her hand and foot!?
But how could I not—especially when she jumps up on the recliner
with me every day and snuggles up to me and her snoring lulls me
away from my reading or TV watching into gentle snoring in tandem!
The way Zookie trusts me, relies on me, forgives me, plays with me,
and reads my changing moods has become a wonderful and totally
unexpected part of my life. Who knew that an animal could become
such a loving and dear companion?! I just didn’t see it coming!
|
