June 22 marked the 9 year anniversary of that fateful day when I drove up to Newport, Vermont with my friend Steve to find the puppy who would become my bestest friend and pal. It was indeed love at first sight -- among a pen full of his five other brothers and sisters, Stoli was the one on whom my gaze fixed, and Steve's as well. There was that immediate connection -- that after three months of meeting dogs in need of a companion, I knew that Stoli was meant to be with me. A long and loving drive back to the valley in which Stoli's head nuzzled deeper and deeper into Steve's lap as he gazed at me, and we came home. I soon had that overwhelming sense of "Oh my gawd, what do I do? I don't know how to be a doggy mommy!" Well, nine years into motherhood, I think I've figured out the key points:
1) When you make the commitment, stick with it, no matter what comes up. You have to be in it for the long haul, "for better or for worse."
2) Whatever the costs in money, time or heartbreak, you reap a million times what you sow. It's the best investment -- of money and emotions -- you could ever make.
3) Dogs have so much to teach us. Life becomes clearer and simpler with them in our lives. We should aspire to their wisdom about what really matters in life.
