A Dog Called Jack and a Boy Called Damian

Here is my cutie-pie little great-grandson, Damian, who looks so much like my only granddaughter, and his mom, Ali. Damian and I spend Fridays together and he has had a crash course in getting over his fear of dogs, since I live with so many of them (four at last count!) Of course he knew Pup, too.

I remember when Damian was just weeks old, and he and Ali were visiting. She had laid the teeny baby on the futon in the back room to sleep and, in going down the hall, I chanced to look in and see Pup sitting staring at him, with his head cocked. He had never seen a human so small and was trying to puzzle it out. I brought him out of the room, thinking, after all, he is a wolf. I know he never would have hurt him, but still.........

Anyway, last night I started to read Damian a book called A Dog Called Jack. I had picked it up at the library, hadnt looked through it, it looked like a happy read...........as I read, though, the dog began growing old, I started to see where it was heading, tried to hold onto myself, kept reading, with my voice getting thicker and thicker. And then Jack died. OMG.

Damian said, "That is so sad. It makes me feel like crying right now." And I choked out, "It makes me....think of......Pup." and Damian and I exchanged a devastated tearful look. "Boo-hoo," I said, with a weak smile, and he nodded.

Yes, I still have my other dog, and yes, three others are a room away. And I hand out treats to all the dogs I know. And one day might like to have a puppy - a dog small enough to pick up, for a change.

But I could have a hundred dogs, and it still wouldnt fill the place that is Pup's alone. I still am stricken with sudden tears when I think about my boy.

However, it wasn't long before Damian cracked me right up. I am struggling with a bad perm right now, so my "hair" (more like a haystack) goes well with my cackle. It was perfect for Hallowe'en, I'd open the door and the kids would all scream. (Just kidding, no one even came, they were likely too scared. "A witch lives there! And about a hundred dogs!")  

I was telling Damian that Jas has to go to the groomer and that she doesnt like going. I told her, "You have to suffer to be beautiful, you know, as my mother always said." Then I reflected thoughtfully, "Hmmmm....I've suffered a lot, and I didn't get beautiful." Damian said honestly and sympathetically, "No, you didn't."

Did I ever laugh!