A Thorn Between Two Roses

I wouldn't have it any other way

One year ago today, these two young ladies took their first breaths somewhere in upstate New York. Two and a half months later, they came into my life, and there is not one single microscopic thing that has not been flipped upside down, spun around in dizzying circles, and completely undone in my life as I knew it before they arrived if you don't know how this all started, this is a good first place to go to appreciate everything that follows in this entry.

The first thing to point out is that this picture has not been modified, photoshopped, or edited in any way... But, as your rearview mirror warns you, they are larger than they appear.

My frequently mentioned friend for life and adopted baby sister stopped by for a quick visit and brief exchange of Christmas gifts, intending to take advantage of an opportunity for her to meet the girls in person for the first time. She's had plenty of pictures and video clips sent to her, but it was her first face-to-face and, as it is with everyone else who meets them for the first time, she was quick to point out that photos and video clips do not do justice to how ginormous these dogs are. She simply had to take a picture, and I asked her to wait until I could sit between them before she could finally capture what I had used as the featured image for this entry.

Looking at this picture now, as I write this, I'm struck by how much bigger they appear compared to my physical size. It's a little misleading because I'm sitting behind and between them, so I'm a foot or two deeper in the background. Still... These dogs are fucking huge compared to what they looked like the day we first met. What strikes me most of all, knowing that Newfoundlands aren't considered full-grown until they reach the age of two, is that I'm only halfway toward the end goal of them being fully grown. Each is already about 100 lb, and they are statistically 30 to 50 lb short of where they will be a year from now. Only a lover of giant Molasser breeds can fully appreciate what a beautiful and glorious reality that is.

Readers who have been with me for a while are all too excruciatingly painfully aware of what I went through back in October of 2023 when I lost what I considered my canine soulmate, Daisy after she lost her fight with cancer.

The ensuing 4 months, sure as I could be that I could never have another dog in my life because I didn't have the strength to endure that pain ever again, were filled with an overwhelming sense of sadness and loss that every pet owner - of any species or breed - knows all too well. I wrote at the time that the absence of her was everywhere I looked, and I simply did not want to ever go through that again... I felt as if I couldn't muster the strength or the courage even to consider trying. But, in early February 2024, my daughter sent me a text demanding that I drop everything I was doing and click on a link she sent me, and all of that changed.

It has been 10 months (and 90 lb each) since this picture was taken, and everything I own has been destroyed. Reflecting on the time since that day we first met, as I work my way to the close of this birthday celebration with my girls Alice and Emma, I realize that the gaping hole in my chest hasn't been simply filled once more; it is bursting at the seams and overflowing with a level of love, respect, admiration, and - most of all - gratitude for being honored with the gift of having to be responsible for these two magnificent creatures.

I published a poem roughly 3 months ago, unashamedly admitting that I suck at poetry, in which I pointed out the journey of Chaos and mayhem that these ladies brought with them as they came in, and took over, the life I thought I had been relegated to living. It's worth a read. If for no other reason than understanding how far these two have taken me down the happier path of a fulfilling and satisfying life, I think it would be worth a quick read.

Sitting on the porch this morning, talking over coffee with Miss Alice as I have done since she took over my life (singing her the Happy Birthday song with my made to be used only in the shower voice), I realized that my relationship with the girls makes me the thorn between two roses rather than the rose between two thorns. I chuckled, each of us engaged in direct eye contact as I pointed out that my life purpose is to pay all the bills so they can allow me to share space in what is effectively their house.

They let me sit in the desk chair, they let me use the computer, and they even let me sleep on my bed, although they much prefer it when I lay with them on the floor. They let me refuse them human food only so long as I make sure they get their puppy food and albacore tuna first. They do not let me out of their sight. They do not like it when I leave the house without them. They have reluctantly accepted the presence of two cats only so long as I keep my scolding of them when they chase after the cats to a dull roar. And I'm pretty sure their two favorite things are when I bark at them like a dog and roll around on the ground and wrestle with them - especially in the snow - and make no fuss about waking me up when they've decided I have slept long enough. And you know what?

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy birthday, Alice and Emma, and buckle up, ladies... We are just barely getting started!