Lovin' Labs

On our weekly trips to Yorktown, I have been reading Marley & Me by John Grogan aloud to C. We have laughed and cried at his experiences with his self proclaimed “world’s worst dog.” At once bonding with a fellow lab owner who sums up so well how they convey emotion, make you laugh, cry and comfort you. So many times we thought of Maggie who we lost just before we moved into our new house and couldn’t help but think that was a tiny blessing that she never had to brave our stairs.

In the backseat, head perched just behind my seat, staring longingly at C is our own little comedian, terror, and empathizer Isaac. Every now and then we read something in the book that makes us look back and ask him if he remembers when he did this or that.

Does he remember chewing? Do you remember eating your dog beds boy? Do you remember the time you squeezed your nose through the bars of your crate and ate right through the sheet rock? How about the first time we left you out of your crate? The teeth marks still ingrained in the wooden knob on the bed that told us you weren’t quite ready. The endless bags of charcoal you stole from beneath the barbeque pit? We were lucky with this one; he never really ate anything that couldn’t be replaced. C says we are due for a terror the next time.

For now however we’ll enjoy our time with a big lug of a canine who will let us dress him in anything, displays the greatest appreciation for any morsel of food you give him, sits right in front of you when you cry with the most worried look on his face, and when you yell at him will actually pout until you end up offering a heartfelt apology.