It was his eyes that got me. Deep pools of espresso dappled with specks that reminded me of caramel. I hadn't even reached through the cage to caress his indescribably soft ears yet, a practice I would come to revere more than practically anything since it brought as much calm to me as it did to him. Never mind his sleek, black coat and grizzled eyebrows -- the ones he could move independently, effectively conveying his mood, which was almost always agreeable.
The plan was to adopt a rescue dog for my dad, one that would serve as a loving companion for him as he grappled with Alzheimer's disease. Something that would ground him as his world fell apart. The trouble was that I needed grounding, too.
Needless to say, I didn't intend to fall in love with such a dog. Nor did I think I would be incapable of delivering on a promise I had made to my dad.
"I'll find you the perfect dog. Just give me a little more time. I think you'll love the one we end up with, but we have to be sure it meets all the criteria first."
Unfortunately, none of the candidates we considered passed muster for a variety of reasons: Too lively, not lively enough, too disinterested in people, too apt to jump on people, too aggressive and so on. It seemed as though we were doomed to fail.
Then Jasper appeared as my husband and I meandered through the SPCA for the umteenth time, peering into cages in search of an answer to our prayers. Our eyes locked with the aforementioned black lab mix and the rest was history. Originally, he was supposed to stay with our family only until we felt he was ready to transition to my dad's home. "We'll keep him for a week or so -- long enough to adjust to life outside a kennel," I told my kids. "He's old and needs some TLC," I reasoned to myself.
Weeks stretched into a solid month, and by then I was hopelessly smitten. Jasper had quietly wheedled his way into our family and had become a part of our lives we didn't even know was missing. Indeed, there was no mistaking the bond that had formed between us and there simply was no turning back. That said, he stepped with ease into our crazed schedule and house filled with teenage drama, noise and angst, despite his dog years and inability to recognize his own name -- the one the rescue had fittingly assigned him.
Against all odds, he learned to love our yappy, 14-pound Bichon and in the process made the latter less prone to anxiety attacks and barking seizures involving delivery trucks and unsuspecting joggers. At every turn, he modeled good behavior for our not-so-compliant, curly-haired pooch -- the one we thought was beyond hope for ever acting like a normal dog. Almost daily they now play together, tossing their sock monkey into the air and racing around the house like a couple of deranged squirrels -- something that makes my heart smile. Every. Single. Time.
Not surprisingly, it wasn't long before I discovered how comforting it was to have a big-ish dog place his head or warm muzzle in my hand as I awaken each morning. Or the soothing effect he has on all of us as he wedges his box-like body next to ours on the couch at the close of a long day, somehow sensing our need to decompress. By contrast, he embraces our clamor and chaos -- celebrating both the disorder and the abundance of joy that resides within our home.
Needless to say, there's something extraordinary about having this dog, in particular, around -- and by "around" I mean that he has become my shadow, following me everywhere but into the shower. What's more, he reluctantly bids me farewell when I have to leave and greets me in the doorway when I return, tail wagging wildly, reminding me that all dogs are inclined to smile. You just have to look for it.
As a result, I never feel unappreciated or truly alone no matter how empty my house happens to be -- the kids running in 17 different directions and their dad expertly manning the taxi or holed up at his office. Looking back, I think it's during those quiet times when I value his presence the most. He's there for me day in and day out, keeping me from dwelling on the sadness that lies beneath the surface of every joy -- the ever-present sorrow related to having lost my dad not in the physical sense, but by every other definition.
Somehow, I know my dog understands. It's in his eyes.
Planet Mom: It's where I live. Visit me there at www.melindawentzel.com.
Copyright 2015 Melinda L. Wentzel