A Happy Anniversary

The electronic calendar beeps with a reminder: today’s the anniversary of “Gotcha Day,” the day one year ago when Richard and I drove to the Spring Valley/Nanuet Park & Ride to meet our new dog Willie – the dog then known only as “Bubbles.”

The memory of that morning comes back to me in a rush: the anticipation after weeks of waiting, the uncertainty and optimism we felt as we drove to the pickup point with that new collar, leash, and a bag of smoked chicken treats. I recall how I felt that morning – and how that trembling young dog felt in my arms when he was released from his crate and handed down to me from the truck. In that moment, after his long journey from the deep south, that pup was as uncertain as we were — although his wagging tail betrayed an innate optimism, his assumption that the world is filled with friends.

Richard and I had a happy and full life before, but it is richer and better since our dog arrived – and probably healthier, too; we certainly walk more than we did before, and sharing our days with Willie it’s impossible not to notice that we both laugh more, and we make time in our day to play – something that Willie reminds us is essential.