We had the occasional fish, craw fish and lightening bug, we once had a parakeet.
When I went away to college, I got a goldfish "Goldie Hawn" my Junior year and kept it alive until I graduated, a feat unto itself, but somehow I was able to keep it alive.
After Goldie Hawn, I went many years without a pet. With my tendency to move frequently and my 20 something life-style, it is probably a good thing that I didn't take on the responsibility of a pet.
As I began to settle down, I started thinking about a pet. Since I lived in a condo a cat was the most logical choice, but I hate cats, so that was out of the question. I continued pet-less until I moved into my home.
After moving into my house, I got the itch for a pet again, I knew what I wanted.... a dog.
As I was researching breeds, I set up some ground rules for what I wanted.....
- No female
- No sissy dog
- No pet store
With my rules set, I continued my research. One Saturday afternoon, I was out running errands when I ended up in a strip center with a few minutes to kill. Deciding that some hands-on pet research would do me good, I wandered into the pet store, just to look!
I made it clear to the salesperson when she asked if she could help me that I was not there to buy, I was ONLY LOOKING!
Out of the corner of my eye, a cute little bundle of black and white mischief got my attention. I was drawn over to the pen that little fur ball was housed in and reached in to pet the tiny pup.
With the horns blaring and big neon sign flashing "SUCKER ALERT" over my head, the salesperson rushed over and placed that little girl right in my arms.
Needless to say, after a few minutes of play, I knew this FEMALE, SISSY BREED, FROM A PET STORE dog was going home with me.
With a long breath, I told the attendant, give her a bath and I will be back in one hour, I need that much time to talk myself out of this purchase.
No sooner had I gotten into my car than I was dialing my neighbors, I knew both of the calls I was going to make would help bring me to my senses and leave this puppy in the pet store where she belonged.
First call was Leigh, I knew Leigh would tell me I was an idiot for even thinking about this. UUUMMMMM, no, Leigh thought it was a great idea, I needed a cute little puppy and she would even babysit when I needed her to.
Ok, strike out with Leigh, but a call to Wendy would certainly do the trick. Wendy is the neighbor who doesn't mince words, she will tell me quickly that I am not responsible enough to have a dog, I know Wendy will talk me out of it. UUUMMMMM, no, Wendy couldn't encourage me more, she thought a puppy was exactly what I needed.
So I ended up with this cute little pup, she came home with me that day and has been here ever since.
Rosalita "Lita" Grace quickly took control of our residence on day one and hasn't let up since. I remember before I had a dog I used to think people were unstable when they would talk about their dogs like they were children. Now I completely understand it.
Lita is the light of my life. There is not a day that goes by that she doesn't make me laugh. When she curls up into the small of my back at night for sleep a sense of peace comes over me at the end of a long day. I can't go from one room to the other that she doesn't follow me and our nightly game of fetch is a highlight for me.
It's funny, I realized many years ago that I would never have children, but I didn't realize until I adopted Lita that I could love anything as much as I do her. Dog love is different that people love, I get that, but the love I have for this furry little girl is incredibly strong.
Lita is the one thing on this earth that is totally dependant on me, I take that responsibility seriously.
In a few weeks we will celebrate Lita's third birthday, there won't be a party or anything that silly, but she and I will celebrate. She will get a new toy and a special treat, just to mark the impact she has had on my life.
Lita is my little girl, she is prissy and she is the queen of this castle. I love her and can't imagine life without her.
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