Let Me Introduce You to Miss Percy

We searched for a long time for Miss Percy.  We tried the local shelters.  We tried Petfinder.  We tried the Penny Saver and, of course, craigslist.  It was good old Google searching that proved successful in the end. We decided on a Golden Retriever, known for loyalty and good nature, it would be the perfect fit for us.  We found the rescue organization, Homeward Bound Goldens, and filed the paperwork.  When the representative came to the house to interview us, I asked the her how, among so many dogs in need, she found the right one.  Her answer, a midst teary eyes, was simple:  "The dog found me."  Hun?  What, did it pee on her leg?  Did it vie for her attention?  How would you really know the dog found you?  Her answer seemed sentimental, and clearly had depth of meaning for her, but I really didn't get it.  I had the dog resume check list ready:  Good dog.  Fetch toys.  Don't bite.  No fleas.  Plays nice.  Goes potty outside.  Likes to wear the occasional costume for laughs and fun.  Doesn't jump up on the couch.  Walks well on a leash.  Loyal and loving.  I would find the right dog.  

We drove for over two hours to the ranch.  Adoption day.  Among the hundreds of dogs here today, I was confident we would find right dog.  We were brought to an open yard and three dogs were roaming freely.  Sasha and Lola were the first two we met.  Sasha is the mommy dog.  She barks and wags like a pro.  Lola is her pup.  Lola had been hit by a car she had given chase, and suffered partial paralysis in her hip.  If we took one, we had to take the other.  Rough on the finances and the small house.  What to do.  What to do.  What's this...where is my son?  He is in the corner, behind the dog kennel, hugging a shaking and sheepish dog.  The dog follows him out of the corner.  The adoption representatives respond in shock and awe.  Evidently this cowering dog never follows humans.  Never lets them touch her.  Rescued from a breeding facility, her human touch was limited to feeding time and removal of her pups.  She is skiddish and lives in fear.  How do we decide?  Maybe this isn't adoption day.  This scaredy-dog does not meet my dog resume check list.  Well, she's goes potty outside, but that's it.  Sasha and Lola fetch toys.  Hell, Lola fetches cars!  There's got to be a way.  We ask the representative for help on how to choose.  She encourages us to choose the dog that we can give the most...that reflects us...that chooses us...  At this point I feel my eyes welling up.  Are you kidding me?!  I am in a field among strangers and I am about to start crying!  Am I pregnant?  PMS-ing?  Why am I about to cry?  The chin quiver.  Oh man, there's no more fighting it.  There go the tears.  Our dog just picked us.
      

Quitting my career job to stay home and care for my husband and son is the best decision I have ever made.  I question it every day, and every day I am blessed with gratitude and confirmation that it is the best lifestyle for our family.  The biggest consequence of these big life changes--LIVING IN FEAR--who am I now...do we have enough money...am I doing this right...how will this all work out?  Yes and thank you, in walk the dog choosing us.  This skiddish dog, cowering in the corner, wanting to engage in life but not sure how.  Following my son out of the corner...the inspiration for the both of us...to find life...to live....meet Miss Persimmon, aka Miss Percy.  She picked us!  She picked me.  There I stood in shock.  Dog list resume out the window.  How much Miss Percy and I have in common!  Living in fear, cowering in the corner.  It was in that moment that I knew Miss Percy and I were going to embark on a fear-less journey together.  Dog walks, vitality, courage...we were going to find life, love it, and live it.

Miss Percy continues to bless our lives for over a year and a half now.  She still likes her place of comfort under the dining room table.  She still runs when there's a loud noise.  But there's nothing like taking her out for a walk, or to the beach, or on a new hiking trail.  That tail wags.  Her long hair blowing in the wind, her tongue out to the side, smile on her face and light in her eyes.  Adventure.  Life.  Breath.  We have arrived, Miss Percy.  We have arrived.  I hope she feels it as much as I do.