I just want to reminisce about my favorite handbag, which got scratched up, and my new pants, which have a hole in them. This is my daily struggle: going home and waking up early. Why does my dog miss me so much that just an hour out feels like days or months to them? But I don't care. My bag is still useful, even with a visible scratch on it. I just love having it. Sometimes I get annoyed, but most of the time, I cherish the moment.
I want to have another puppy. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw my mother's reaction when I said this to her. I knew they wouldn't agree, for I already have four mature dogs now, and maintenance for four dogs isn't a joke. But deep down, I really want one. My dogs are too big to carry, and I love holding a puppy in my lap while reading and reviewing. The vibe when they sleep beside me makes me pause, and my stress disappears when suddenly the puppy dreams as if he was barking. The thought of this makes me smile while writing this.
It's so easy for my mother to know where I am when I stay home, where the dogs are, for sure, I am also there. If the dogs are playing near the rabbitry, they already know I'm in the rabbitry. When four dogs are resting in the door of my grandparents' home, they know I'm inside. When they know I'm in my room, and the dogs aren't seen anymore, they know the dogs are in my room. My mother scolds me for allowing the dogs to sit inside, but sometimes, they can't do anything but to let the dogs in.
One of the disadvantages of having a dog that misses you so much is that they don't know that you're wearing clothes that shouldn't be stained, or a leather bag that must not have scratches on it, or a white shirt that could be vulnerable to dogs. I understand that they don't know all of this, so I am the one who adjusts. When entering the gate, I make sure that my bag can be held high, and I need to sometimes run fast, as they won't climb up to me.
My grandfather commented that "maybe when they were too young, you always played with their tails." I was puzzled and asked why he said that. "Back in the olden days, they said that when you always played with their tails, they wouldn't leave you. They always wanted to be by your side, to climb up to you when they missed you. They'd do anything just to fulfill their missing piece." I laughed at my grandfather, but of course, respectfully told him that maybe that was the reason.
But it's not just my dog. Even the dogs of my grandparents act this way. The moment they see me, they act like a crazed dog, my aunt's dog barks so loud while wagging its tail, and the stray dog near my workplace recognizes me by the sound of my footsteps. They become insanely happy and excited. Sometimes, I get annoyed, but that is so much more genuine. They miss you just for you, they run and greet you, and they don't care if they've done something wrong.