CHANGING PERSPECTIVES

i purchased a book for my sister entitled, "What My Dog Has Taught Me About Life" (she has a little poodle with curly apricot hair by the name of sammy. she also has no idea i purchased this book for her, so if you are reading this jillo, SUPRISE :)) i thought i would skim the book to make sure it wasn't as absolutely as silly as it sounded, and it is funny how one moment can change your perspective. i didn't know it then, but my moment was the day i took home a saggy, wrinkly, milk chocolate lab puppy who has been named after three tremendous authors, Bronte Hawthorn Lewis. i have laughed at my sister over the years as she has turned canine into child, but as i read through some of the entries in the book, i began to see myself instead of my sister. wouldn't you know the author of the book had a lab and wouldn't you know that they went from his arrival to the day of his death. there i was sitting in study hall with jr.'s and sr.'s crying because the man had been out of town when his dog died and so the last entry in the book was a letter to his dog apologizing for not being there and telling him what a good friend he had been. four months ago, i would have laughed myself silly at anyone so attached to "just a dog". now that person is me.