A dear friend sent this to me…
It seems so true.
When I am old…
I will wear soft grey sweatshirts,
and a bandanna over my silver hair,
and I will spend my social security cheques on wine and my dogs.
I will sit in my house on my well-worn chair
and listen to my dogs’ breathing.
I will sneak out in the middle of a warm summer night
and take my dogs for a run, if my old bones will allow…
When people come to call, I will smile
and nod as I show them my dogs,
and talk of them and about them…
…the ones so beloved of the past
and the ones so beloved of today.
I will still work hard cleaning after them,
mopping and feeding them and
whispering their names in a soft loving way.
I will wear the gleaming sweat on my throat,
like a jewel, and I will be an embarrassment to all,
especially my family…
who have not yet found the peace in being free
to have dogs as your best friends.
These friends who always wait, at any hour, for your footfall,
and eagerly jump to their feet out of a sound sleep,
to greet you as if you are a god,
With warm eyes full of adoring love and hope
that you will always stay.
I’ll hug their big strong necks,
I’ll kiss their dear sweet heads,
and whisper in their very special company.
I look in the mirror…and see I am getting old.
this is the kind of person I am, and have always been.
Loving dogs is easy, they are part of me.
Please accept me for who I am.
My dogs appreciate my presence in their lives,
they love my presence in their lives.
When I am old this will be important to me.
You will understand when you are old….
if you have dogs to love too.
– Anonymous
“It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life, gifts me with a piece of their heart.
If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are.”
—Unknown
2002's Weblog 
What a lovely sentiment. I think the person who wrote that was a very passionate dog lover.
There are so many different breeds I find endearing, they’re very chummy companions, dogs, and I have grown up with dogs, cats and birds. But my heart and affection went to cats… less smelly, no slobber (unless they have toothache 😦 ) and putting your ear to a purring cat has to be one of the most therapeutic sounds ever!
Having said that, there are certainly some endearing dogs…King Charles Spaniels (I remember seeing a man cycling along with 3 in his basket at front of the bike, all smiling and looking happy, it was gorgeous!), Staffordshire Terriers “Staffies” and Beagles. My stepmother had a beagle and it was a total fruit loop, any dog that dug up the lawn to eat lawn grubs is a bit on the silly side… he was the Garfield equivalent in dogs!
Dogs do have a great ability to show unconditional love. I have had dogs, ferrets, horses, ducks, and gerbils for pets. Currently, due to my busy lifestyle, I have two cats.
What would life be like if we could be as open with our feelings as dogs? What would life be like if we could express ourselves as freely to those we love? What would it be like if we could be as loyal and steadfast? A whole different world would be our reality. Someone expressed it well in their writing. Thank you for sharing.
“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.” ~ Will Rogers, 1897-1935
They do go to Heaven, there’s a Walt Disney movie of that title to prove it…:) 😉
Had a customer at work day before last who stuck her nose in the door…the Boxer dog she had on the leash was less polite and just edged its way in for a pat… she got them, from both me and my employer, I raced over to pat it as soon as I saw it “cuddling up” against my employer.
Another time quite recently a lady who owns a shop nearby brought in her Scottish Terrier for me to mind while she had a massage. I patted it and marvelled at its silky coat until my employer (who had volunteered to do this) took her for a walk.
I love that people are so attached to their pets! One of the massage therapists at work came back in a fit of giggles after seeing a lady walking in the street talking to her Greyhounds like children 🙂