Monsters In the Closet's All I've Ever Known




Sunday night, as I lay in bed willing myself to sleep, I thought of my Lu. She's been a very patient and sweet girl, so this is an ode to her:

She's getting a little bit wide around the middle. Who among us isn't? The spring in her step isn't as light as it was in her puppy years. She's slighty cranky in her old age. And yet...she still greets me at the door, no matter the hour I return. Her tail is always wagging so forcefully that I can hear it thumping against the door jamb. If I am foolish enough to watch a sad movie (i.e. - Steel Magnolias...I'm such a sap), she will come sit next to me on the couch and lick away my tears. She warns me of impending danger, such as the trash truck or the mailman. She rolls around on the bed immediately after she has eaten. I call it the Dance of Food Joy. If it's a pretty day outside, much like it is today, she will lay down and bask in the sun. If I sleep in the bedroom, she sleeps at the foot of the bed. If I sleep on the couch, she sleeps directly under the coffee table. When I take a shower, she lays on the bath mat in front of the tub. When I met Lucy, she was curled up in the very back of tiny kennel at the SPCA. She was approximately the size of her head now. I had missed her the first time I walked through. Our eyes met, and I said "hello little dog". She raised her head and wagged her tail, but remained curled up in a little ball. I opened the door to the kennel and reached in for her. She met me halfway. As I pulled this tiny redhead ball of fluff out of her prison, she took her head and nuzzled right where my neck and shoulder meet. I didn't even bother to look at any other dogs. She'd chosen me. It wasn't even my idea to go to the SPCA. My dumbass roommate had wanted as dog. So, I took this little ball of fluff, paid for the shots they'd given and we headed home. On the ride, my dumbass roommate asked me what I thought I'd name her. Since her hair was fairly red, I asked him "What about Lucy?". She lifted her tiny little head off the seat and looked at me. He replied "Lucy, huh?" And she turned her tiny little head toward him. Not only did she choose me, but she chose her own name. At the time, I had a two-story townhouse. She was so small, she couldn't even make it up the stairs. When we got home, I carried her upstairs and gave her a bath. The blowdryer frightened her, so I was toweling her off as best I could. As this tiny, shivering, half-wet little thing looked up at me, with these huge brown eyes, I said this aloud to her: "for as long as you live, you will never be alone again. Whatever might happen in our lives, I will protect and care for you. I love you, little dog". Whenever she's acting cantankerous, which is her right as a seven year old bitch, I remind her that I love her forever. So, this is for my Lucy Lou, the best damn beagletriever in the whole wide world :)