An ode to my shadow
They say that in life we will be drawn to others who share many of the same qualities that we ourselves possess. And yet, I never knew that when I brought home a miniscule Boston Terrier on December 30, 2009, that I would be living with a creature that resembled me in so many ways. Molly and I were both born with weak immune systems; while I was put in an incubator right after birth to fight the pneumonia that had spread through my lungs after I had been born with my umbilical cord wrapped around my neck (an early sign of self-destructiveness, I sometimes liked to joke), Molly developed large pink spots early in life and lost a large amount of hair. Her immune system being so weak, she could not fight off the natural Dermadex mites that her mother had passed to her in her first few days of life.
The two of us also greatly enjoy yogurt, which was a surprise to me. I had been told by a naturopathic vet who was standing in for my regular vet that the probiotics contained in yogurt would help build Molly's immune system, but I still hesitated before scooping a large amount of plain yogurt into the food bowl. To my surprise, Molly lapped it up quickly, and we have had yogurt dates ever since.
Finally, if I ever held skepticism about similarities between dogs and their owners, it was dispelled on the day that I realized that Molly is in fact obsessive compulsive, if not in the same degree as I was when I was eleven. If any individual dog kibbles are scattered on the floor, my dog has an irresistible urge to eat them as soon as possible. As an experiment, I once scattered kibble over the kitchen floor after Molly had eaten her fill and left some food uneaten in her bowl. I called her into the kitchen, and she immediately went to the task of cleaning up. I like having a furry little shadow, even if she does fart often in my immediate vicinity. My only hope is that Molly and I never look the same, as jowls only look good on very old men, especially if they are wearing hats.
The two of us also greatly enjoy yogurt, which was a surprise to me. I had been told by a naturopathic vet who was standing in for my regular vet that the probiotics contained in yogurt would help build Molly's immune system, but I still hesitated before scooping a large amount of plain yogurt into the food bowl. To my surprise, Molly lapped it up quickly, and we have had yogurt dates ever since.
Finally, if I ever held skepticism about similarities between dogs and their owners, it was dispelled on the day that I realized that Molly is in fact obsessive compulsive, if not in the same degree as I was when I was eleven. If any individual dog kibbles are scattered on the floor, my dog has an irresistible urge to eat them as soon as possible. As an experiment, I once scattered kibble over the kitchen floor after Molly had eaten her fill and left some food uneaten in her bowl. I called her into the kitchen, and she immediately went to the task of cleaning up. I like having a furry little shadow, even if she does fart often in my immediate vicinity. My only hope is that Molly and I never look the same, as jowls only look good on very old men, especially if they are wearing hats.
