Love is... a senior dog
A friend of mine recently attended a wedding where one of the readings was about how falling in love is like owning a dog. In addition to making me want to borrow a time machine so that I could go back and include this poem in my own wedding ceremony, it got me thinking about the ways in which senior dogs embody love.
The poem in question is "How Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog" by Taylor Mali. With a tip of my metaphorical hat to Mr. Mali, I thought I'd add a few verses of my own specifically about senior dogs.
If falling in love is like owning a dog, then maybe staying in love is like having a senior dog by your side?
Sometimes love is tired.
Sometimes it's picky and hard to please,
But it's always there, waiting.
Tapping its toes, trying to be patient.
Love knows you better than you know yourself.
It knows when you need a nuzzle or a nudge.
Love might bark at you sometimes
Because love tells you what it needs and expects an answer.
Love might need its own space from time to time
But it will always return to you.
One snuggle will make your bad day melt away,
As love supports you in ways you never even imagined.
Love might not see or hear as well anymore,
But love knows you're there.
Love depends on you, and you depend on love.
One day the truth is clear - love actually has the leash on you.
I'm no Taylor Mali, but love (in this case, my Bella) doesn't mind. However, I think you'll really enjoy seeing the real deal in action:
So, tell me... how does your senior dog embody love?
A.J. is the blogger behind I Still Want More Puppies. She's on the leash of Bella, a twelve-year-old Beagle/Jack Russell mix. She blogs about pop culture, pup culture, and anything else that strikes her fancy. On her blog, you can find humor with a dose of heart, and you'll quickly discover that she never met a pun she didn't like. All dogs are puppies to her, and she thinks senior puppies are the sweetest of all.