My Soulmate
I am officially announcing a new holiday to replace the current single shaming, romance pressuring, limp rose, Hallmark invented holiday of Valentine’s Day. I present to you: Dogentine’s Day! No love is as pure as the love between a dog and their person.
My first Dogentine was dropped off at my apartment by a friend. Dee Dee was barely four weeks old, too young to be away from her mom. She could barely stand on her own and when I would walk even a few steps away her eyes would follow me anxiously. She grew into the strongest, most beautiful dog that ever lived. Her chestnut coat gleamed in the sunshine like a racehorse’s. When I walked her people would shout out their car windows, “Beautiful Dog!”. A policeman once used his car’s loud speaker to announce her beauty to the whole neighborhood.
Dee Dee ushered me through a horrendous relationship and then, when I was single she refused to sleep with me at night, choosing instead to sleep in the chair by the door to guard me. She fell in love with my husband before I did and welcomed him into our home. When he moved in she retired her watch and slept through the night soundly in bed squeezed between us.
She died at seventeen years old and I still don’t understand how earth can rotate without her on it. But it does and her ghost picked out two more Dogentine’s for us to adore, Jasmine and Ree Ree. So today is their day! Extra treats for them, a walk on the beach and maybe some fresh pink bows to make them feel fancy. Happy Dogentine’s Day everyone, go kiss your favorite dog today!
