I was telling the story of how he was brought to my apartment in Rochester 13 years ago now. I was sober, single, and living alone, so my friend thought I could use a puppy, and she had found him abandoned in the woods at Quarry Hill, a park on the outskirts of town. I wasn't a dog person but I took him in. He was a cute little fluff ball. He couldn't have been two months old.
The next year was filled with chewed up remote controls, socks, and shoes. Poop and pee awaited me every day after work, and every time I threw a ball, he would run to it and chew on it. That little fucker challenged my patience, and aggravated me to the point where I just wanted him gone. Then, one day, he just stopped. He started to let me know when he needed to go out, preferred to chew on his toys (and still my socks), and he loved bringing the ball back to me, over, and over, and over, and over... He had grown up. And I loved him from then on.
He has been through some terrible times with me. He has watched me throw my life away, twice. He has seen me get robbed, beaten, and has survived a car accident with me that sent us airborne at 70 mph into a culvert. I got out of the car and as I did he bolted out and across four lanes of rush hour traffic, somehow avoiding certain death. That accident was just one of three I've had as a result of falling asleep at the wheel from sleep deprivation. A direct consequence of meth use.
He has only ever showed me love, affection, and loyalty. Things that don't exist in the meth world. I felt terrible when I was sent away because he was getting old and I thought I'd never see him again. And when I did see him, it was clear he didn't remember me from two years previous. I was heartbroken, but I understood. Today when I cuddled him up on the couch, it was like the good days. I love him like I always have and hopefully some day he can love the new me.
My aunt and I had a fun time as well. We laughed, talked, and reminisced. We ate chili, went to Savers where there was a creepy Santa, and we took the dogs to the dog park. I got see both of her children who are amazing people, and we tried and failed twice to make a real fire, so we settled on the fake fireplace. It was a great day.
He has only ever showed me love, affection, and loyalty. Things that don't exist in the meth world. I felt terrible when I was sent away because he was getting old and I thought I'd never see him again. And when I did see him, it was clear he didn't remember me from two years previous. I was heartbroken, but I understood. Today when I cuddled him up on the couch, it was like the good days. I love him like I always have and hopefully some day he can love the new me.
My aunt and I had a fun time as well. We laughed, talked, and reminisced. We ate chili, went to Savers where there was a creepy Santa, and we took the dogs to the dog park. I got see both of her children who are amazing people, and we tried and failed twice to make a real fire, so we settled on the fake fireplace. It was a great day.
