Kash,
There was once a time when I thought pets were a gateway to kids. I avoided both because I wasn’t ready for that life change. I didn’t think I was adult enough. And I wasn’t sure if I wanted either.
Then, I saw your picture on adopt-a-pet.com.
Your small, speckled body, hung high in the air as a man held you way above the ground. To this day, I still don’t understand that picture choice or angle.
But after being your dog mom since you were nine weeks old, I get you. I didn’t know it then, but you were about to love me through a pain that I didn’t yet have words for.
I have loved you since the day we met you at a coffee shop in Deep Ellum. I text your former owner and within minutes, he texted back, “I’m here.” I quickly turned to find you in the bustling shop on a Sunday afternoon to no avail.
Then, on the patio, your head popped out of a red woven blanket.
You didn’t know it then, but you were ours long before we met up for coffee. Prior to making our way to you, I remember saying, “our life is about to change.”
And boy, was I was right.
Kash, you joined the family at a time when I didn’t recognize myself.
At the beginning of that month, I took a leave of absence from work. I felt lost, angry, and hurt.
The pain lingered long after the pitter patter of your paws echoed through the hallways of our home.
Sweet as can be, you’d climb into my lap and lick away the tears that streamed down my face. You gave me a sense of calm when everything inside me felt chaotic.
Even now, you always bring me back to myself when my body can no longer withstand all the hurt. You’ve healed me in ways I didn’t expect and didn’t know I needed.
Kash, you are the best cuddle buddy. Every night, you make your way to my room and announce your presence by shoving the bed. If that doesn’t work, you scratch and scratch until my hand finds your head in the dark.
Weighing less than 30 pounds, I love that you take your role as being the man of the house seriously.
Aunt Vita says you have the confidence of a white man and I’d have to agree. I’ve watched you try to square up with a German Shepherd the size of a pony without fear or hesitation. I, on the other hand, tried to stay as far away as possible.
You are the silent type (thank goodness), but you always let me know when something is out of place. Or someone is at the door especially when you know nobody should be coming to our house past a certain hour.
You are a dog who loves the simple things in life: sunbathing, fresh food, getting chased and SO many treats.
My sweet boy, I may not have been ready for you, but you were exactly what my heart needed.
Thank you for the joy, comfort and softness you’ve brought into my life. Happy 2nd birthday, Kash.
Mommy loves you.
