Last Friday, one of my blogger friends, Martha Orlando who writes Meditations of my Heart, wrote a post called Family Feud.  In the post, she discussed what it was like introducing new pets to each other.  I wrote a long response and as I was discussing my own story I realized I had something to say.

When my brother, Jay worked on Cape Cod after High School he noticed a stray dog following him home just about every night.  Being that it was Cape Cod at the end of summer that this started happening, Jay chalked it up to someone carelessly returning home and leaving the family pet behind.  After several weeks of putting up signs around Sandwich, where Jay was working and no one claiming the dog, he put the dog in the pound.  A few days later my Mom received a call from him explaining the circumstances.  Our Mom, being our Mom didn’t say NOT to bring the dog home.  So, Jay took that to mean that yes he could bring her home.  She was an Akita-Chow mix.  The dog looked so much like a Dingo that every time she followed Jay home, his roommates would say:
Uhh.  That Dingo followed you home again.

The name stuck and she became Dingo.  Two things happened when Dingo arrived home for the first time.  We were all returning in different vehicles.  My Mom, my brother, Mike and I were in one car.  Jay and Dingo were in another and my Dad was driving a third car.  I’ve heard the story so often, and I ALWAYS said I wanted to be there:
Our Dad arrived home first and Jay and DIngo arrived shortly after.  When Jay walked up with Dingo, my Dad was at the door.  He looked at Jay.  Then he looked at Dingo.  Then he said:
Absolutely NOT!

Well, you can guess who won.  Dingo stayed and it wasn’t much time at all before, our Dad and Dingo made peace and became fast friends.  They’d go out walking together at a local park just down the street.  Dingo would lay at our Dad’s feet and he’d reach down and scratch the dog’s ears.  They were best friends.

The second thing to happen, was my cat, Tigger who ONLY bonded with me ran into my bedroom when Dingo walked in.  From the very beginning, Dingo only wanted to be friends with Tigger.  She’d approach my cat and sniff at her.  Tigger would have none of it.  She’d hiss at Dingo, raise her hackles and howl at the dog.  This went on for months.  Dingo would stand down and let Tigger be the aggressor.  Dingo wouldn’t do a thing.  She’d turn away and skulk out into the living room.  I think Tigger finally got tired of NOT getting a response.  It’s JUST like I’ve said here multiple times.  If you don’t get a response then it gets old very quickly.  You expect a response and when one’s not forthcoming, then you have to decide if it’s worth all the wasted energy.

Tigger made the correct choice.  She gave up.  It was Tigger who walked up to Dingo and a truce was drawn.  They became unexpected best friends.  They wound up eating together and occasionally, they’d sleep in my room together.  We had to put Tigger down first.  It was so challenging for me to do so as I had recently moved closer to town.

Seeing that Tigger was an outdoor cat her whole life (twenty years worth) it wouldn’t have been right for me to make her an indoor cat; and the highway is just through the woods where I moved to.  I’ll always believe that Tigger became sick because the ONLY person that cared for her was no longer there for.  She was heartbroken.

The day after we put her down, and weeks and months after that fateful day, Dingo would run around the house both inside and outside, checking for all of Tigger’s favorite places.  She’d sit and bark outside my door when I visited.  I’d let her in and she’d scurry around my room looking under the bed.  She’d check where I used to feed Tigger.  Then she’d run down the hall and look outside.

All to no avail.
Sad to watch but also enlightening.  Knowing that Dingo cared so much about my cat that she missed Tigger to such a degree that she kept looking for her.

Have you ever had a friend you cared for so deeply?
One that looking back it seemed that you’d never be friends?
One that had you met earlier in your life you KNOW wouldn’t mix?

That’s why God/The Divine/Source/Whatever you put your strength in is there.  That’s why HE knows all.  It’s like I wrote two years ago with Life’s Questions.  HE is there moving pieces of your life around.  Making room for unexpected friendships.  Just like with Dingo and my Dad and Dingo and Tigger.

Don’t question it.
Don’t fight it.

Accept what is given to you.
Embrace it.
And NEVER let it go.

Be Happy!  Be Well!  Be Positive!
Blessings to you.

Chris

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