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Who’s Going To Break the News To Belle?
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Who’s Going To Break the News To Belle?
The trip is almost over and as I looked at Belle eating at the table beside me, I realized that she was about to get some bad news. It’s almost time for her to go back to being a dog.
I call myself a dog person but real dog people would disagree because I’ve always believed that dogs were dogs and that humans were in charge. I only enjoy well-trained polite dogs so I spend much time and energy making sure my dogs are enjoyable. If they can’t be trained, I don’t want them and won’t keep them. I own a dog for my pleasure so they live on my schedule. That means, if I sleep late, arrive home late, or am busy, they wait quietly and patiently to have their needs met. Real dog people might call me inconsiderate but since dogs love me, I don’t apologize for my attitude.
Having said that, something happened to me on this trip and I’ve found myself softening. For example, dogs that beg for food while I’m eating annoy me so I’ve never fed dogs from the table. On about the 3rd week of the journey, I started sharing a tiny bit of my meals with Belle. Somewhere along this isolated journey, I crossed a line and now she sits beside me at the table, yes – eating from the table. In my defense, she eats from a paper plate or napkin and I wipe the table down with a Clorox wipe afterward.
When Belle and I finally get home, no more table food and certainly no more sitting at the table!
Belle has spent the last 3 months of her life accompanying me everywhere and being a part of my ministry. People stop to pet her and the next thing I know, I’m talking about Jesus. One morning, I put her in the camper and planned to walk to the bathhouse. On the way there, I met 2 women walking their dog. Belle saw me playing with their dog and went to barking jealously. “Can we meet your dog?” one of the women asked.
“Sure,” I said. Convinced that she had won, Belle looked smug as I got her out of Happy. These woman and I spent the next hour walking our dogs together, watching jackrabbits, and talking about God. They were moving to Pecos, Texas on a spiritual quest. “We’re seekers,” one of the women told me. “We’re in Alcoholics Anonymous and God has removed the desire to drink. We’re trying to get close to nature to learn more about God.”
“In your seeking, have you ever investigated Jesus?” I asked.
One woman said quickly, “No, Cheryle – don’t go there with me. I’m not considering that. I grew up Unitarian and my parents would roll over in their graves if I became a Christian.”
The other woman said, “I’m a recovering Catholic and I’ve already been down that road.”
“Did you have a relationship with Jesus or just knowledge?” I asked the recovering Catholic.
“I appreciate the Catholics giving me a moral foundation but I can’t say I ever developed a relationship,” she said.
“I know some wonderful Catholics who have a close relationship with Jesus,” I said. “I hope you don’t rule Him out if you haven’t met Him personally.”
I turned to the former Unitarian, “If you are in AA, I know that you regularly ask God for knowledge of His will for you and the power to carry that out.” She nodded. “If you do that with an open mind, God will eventually lead you to Jesus. I’ve seen it happen too many times to not believe it.” I gave a couple of poignant examples and she listened. As we parted, she took a Pocket Full of Quarters card.
When Belle and I get back home, there won’t be a convenient way for her to participate in this ministry. When I have somewhere to go, chances are Belle is going to have to stay at home alone.
Belle loves watching animals. In Florida, we pass mostly cows so I got in the habit of saying “Cow, Belle” every time we passed a cow. That was Belle’s cue to wake up and look out the window. Over time, I’ve learned to say “cowbell” whenever we pass any animal. Upon hearing the words, Belle jumps up, begins barking, jumps in the back passenger seat, and looks out the window. She barks and watches the animal until we pass it and then runs to the back of Happy and watches until it is out of sight from the rear. She has watched deer, cows, buffalos, elk, rabbits, dogs, cats, birds, coyote, prairie dogs, and even a bear. While I was writing this, I read this paragraph aloud to proof it. When Belle heard the word “cowbell,” she instantly went into action. I had to apologize and explain there were no “cowbells” this time.
When we get back to Florida, Belle is going to have to be content with the occasional cow, bird, dog, or cat. She’s not likely to see buffalos for a long time.
Everywhere we go, Belle has been the center of attention. She’s shy and I have been trying to get her over shyness by having her sit, letting people pet her, and then giving her a treat. Belle now thinks every person she meets means she gets a treat.
Soon, Belle’s going to have to get used to seeing people and not getting a treat.
Belle and I love to hike together. We have hiked, run, limped (my sore foot still plagues me) and frolicked along oceans, mountains, canyons, sand dunes, rivers, and other beautiful places.
One has to wonder if Belle will every again enjoy just walking down the same street every day.
Belle and I are in a routine and Belle keeps me on track. She wakes up before I do and watches me until I open my eyes. When I say “OK,” she jumps in my bed, lays belly and feet up on my shoulder, and we cuddle for 15 minutes. Then, I say “OK” again, and she jumps down and waits at the door to be walked.
In Florida, Belle is going to have to share her cuddle time with Bob.
I write every night and when I turn off the computer, it makes a particular sound that Belle now associates with bedtime. She jumps up and stares expectantly. Happy has 2 bench seats that must be cleared and made up for sleeping. Belle sleeps on one and I on the other. Shelties love patterns and her pattern is to wait for me to make room and then to jump directly on my bed and to hop from my bed to her bed. After I turn off my computer, if I get busy doing something else, bossy Belle will start barking. I then say, “OK, I’m sorry,” and prepare the beds so we can go to bed.
I hate to tell Belle but in Jacksonville, Bob is going to have more influence on my routine and bedtime than she is and she is just going to have to adjust.
They say people that live alone start talking aloud to themselves. When I talk aloud, I rationalize I’m talking to Belle. I tell her where we’re going, what we’re going to do, and how we’re going to do it. Just before I crank Happy, I always sing, “On the Road Again” and that’s Belle’s cue to jump into her spot by the window.
Belle loves my talking and singing and thinks I do it just for her. When we get home, I’ll have lots of people to talk and sing to and she will have to share.
So who’s going to explain this to Belle? I haven’t had the heart and Jacksonville is getting closer every minute so I’m looking for volunteers. If you’re offering to be the one to break the news, make sure you mention that it isn’t all bad. Soon, she’s going to see her daddy (Bob) and her sister, Kelley. Her favorite person, my nephew Bill, will be waiting at our house when we arrive. She thinks Bill’s another dog and we haven’t told her the difference. Perhaps the best news for Belle is that she won’t have to sleep alone in a single bed anymore. She can move back into our king sized bed with Bob and me.
If you’re up to the task of telling Belle she has to go back to being a dog, e-mail me at Cheryle@pocketfullofquarters.com.
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