Man's Best Friend
"I talk to him when I'm lonesome like; and I'm sure he understands. When he looks at me so attentively, and gently licks my hands; then he rubs his nose on my tailored clothes, but I never say naught thereat. For the good Lord knows I can buy more clothes, but never a friend like that. " ~W. Dayton Wedgefarth
We adopted CJ, our beagle/basset hound mix of a dog, from the Kansas pet shelter in the Fall of 2002. I finally gave in to the constant pleadings from my family for a pet and there she was. I remember driving home from the kennel with her in the backseat with the kids and looking in the rear view mirror. My children's faces were all lit up and the joy in the back of the car was uncontainable. I started to cry those crazy tears of joy and impending sorrow and memory for my dogs who have all passed.
When we moved to Germany and received our shipment of things, I noticed something amazing about CJ. Vic bought me a Norman Rockwell print ,when we were engaged, of a boy scout aiding a little girl who had cut her finger. Sitting next to the boy on the ground is a dog that looked exactly like CJ. In fact, in all of our Norman Rockwell prints, a very similar dog is depicted, all looking as if they could have come from CJ's bloodline. This dog was meant to be in our family.
CJ quickly became the love of our whole little German village. Neighbor children and adults from the surrounding houses would come and ask to take her walking. Down the street was a huge hill and walking forest that offered hours of trails and free space. CJ loved to tear through that area making large circles and chasing after little animals. Vic would bring her to this hill to play. Especially in the winter when CJ looked like a rabbit jumping out of the snow, this hill was their playground.
In February of 2004, Vic packed his duffle bags and ruck sack for deployment to Iraq. We loaded his bags into the truck and took him to the hanger to say goodbye. When we came home and opened the door, CJ shot out and took off running. This wasn't the first time she had run away. She was an escape artist in our backyard in Kansas until we found all of the holes in the fence. This was definately a premeditated escape, she had been waiting for us. Mitch ran inside for the leash and Tori and Steven jumped in the truck with me to go looking for her. When we turned the corner we found her, sitting at the top of the hill looking around. I believe she had been watching Vic pack up and move out his stuff and she went looking for him here at their favorite place. We put her leash on her and put her in the truck and took her home.
My hunch was proven again in January of 2006 when Vic deployed back to Iraq. The day he moved out his bags, she took off and I knew exactly where she was, on the hill waiting for her master as if willing him to come and play with her. For both deployments, CJ became an amazing comfort to me. I worked really hard to keep my emotions in check while the kids were awake, waking early to watch the news and catch up on the events of the day before. At night, when the kids were asleep and I was alone, CJ would sit with me on the couch while I cried. She was the perfect companion. CJ slept on the end of the bed by my feet and made me feel safe. Being able to pet her and feel her soft fur pulled me out of the trances that I found myself in when the trauma of it all became too much to bear.
Today, CJ sits beside me as I write, she sits beside Vic when he fishes and she still sleeps at the foot of the bed on my side. She gets upset when we pack suitcases, no matter if it is Vic or myself who is traveling. She is definately man, and woman's best friend.
We adopted CJ, our beagle/basset hound mix of a dog, from the Kansas pet shelter in the Fall of 2002. I finally gave in to the constant pleadings from my family for a pet and there she was. I remember driving home from the kennel with her in the backseat with the kids and looking in the rear view mirror. My children's faces were all lit up and the joy in the back of the car was uncontainable. I started to cry those crazy tears of joy and impending sorrow and memory for my dogs who have all passed.
When we moved to Germany and received our shipment of things, I noticed something amazing about CJ. Vic bought me a Norman Rockwell print ,when we were engaged, of a boy scout aiding a little girl who had cut her finger. Sitting next to the boy on the ground is a dog that looked exactly like CJ. In fact, in all of our Norman Rockwell prints, a very similar dog is depicted, all looking as if they could have come from CJ's bloodline. This dog was meant to be in our family.
CJ quickly became the love of our whole little German village. Neighbor children and adults from the surrounding houses would come and ask to take her walking. Down the street was a huge hill and walking forest that offered hours of trails and free space. CJ loved to tear through that area making large circles and chasing after little animals. Vic would bring her to this hill to play. Especially in the winter when CJ looked like a rabbit jumping out of the snow, this hill was their playground.
In February of 2004, Vic packed his duffle bags and ruck sack for deployment to Iraq. We loaded his bags into the truck and took him to the hanger to say goodbye. When we came home and opened the door, CJ shot out and took off running. This wasn't the first time she had run away. She was an escape artist in our backyard in Kansas until we found all of the holes in the fence. This was definately a premeditated escape, she had been waiting for us. Mitch ran inside for the leash and Tori and Steven jumped in the truck with me to go looking for her. When we turned the corner we found her, sitting at the top of the hill looking around. I believe she had been watching Vic pack up and move out his stuff and she went looking for him here at their favorite place. We put her leash on her and put her in the truck and took her home.
My hunch was proven again in January of 2006 when Vic deployed back to Iraq. The day he moved out his bags, she took off and I knew exactly where she was, on the hill waiting for her master as if willing him to come and play with her. For both deployments, CJ became an amazing comfort to me. I worked really hard to keep my emotions in check while the kids were awake, waking early to watch the news and catch up on the events of the day before. At night, when the kids were asleep and I was alone, CJ would sit with me on the couch while I cried. She was the perfect companion. CJ slept on the end of the bed by my feet and made me feel safe. Being able to pet her and feel her soft fur pulled me out of the trances that I found myself in when the trauma of it all became too much to bear.
Today, CJ sits beside me as I write, she sits beside Vic when he fishes and she still sleeps at the foot of the bed on my side. She gets upset when we pack suitcases, no matter if it is Vic or myself who is traveling. She is definately man, and woman's best friend.
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