The View from Here

A week ago today this beautiful 62.8 pounds of love and fur (oh my lord, the fur) joined our little family. One week. How can it only be a week when it feels as if she has been a part of our family for ages?

Helping Dan do some work…

I do my best not to bring an animal into our home in an attempt to replace one that we have lost– the one time I did that it was a disaster. We purposely waited almost a year before searching for and finding Marley (shout out to Two by Two Rescue of Birmingham and Brenda Watkins!), giving us sufficient time to make sure that our hearts and minds were ready to open up to a new dog with its own personality. The timing couldn’t have been better for us. We were ready.

Even Shiva is in love with Marley!

Throughout my life I have had some pivotal ‘love at first sight’ moments, moments where I knew without a doubt that this was someone I was supposed to be with or something I was supposed to do. My mom used to say she was just the same- we see one thing and that’s it.

Welcome home!

I can’t explain it, I can only say it is a gut reaction that brings total clarity to my next step- seeing my soul dog Guinness behind the fence at the Tampa Humane Society; knowing when I saw the job posting that UAB was where I was meant to be; seeing Dan after an orchestra rehearsal and knowing I would marry him that instant. The same gut feeling that brought Sophie to us from the Birmingham Humane Society and Shiva to us from our vet’s office. The same one that ended up with Marley here.

Buds…

I don’t know what I was looking for when I met Marley, but maybe it was a sign- a sign from my mom, or from Coops? Something to know that I was making the right choice. I felt the dog’s sweet nature as I approached her. We sat and visited after a walk, and then her tongue hung out of her mouth…spotted just like Coops’ had been. I smiled.

We continued to interact, and then there it was- the wink. One of Coops’ most endearing habits was to wink at me- something I’m sure all dogs do at some point, but it always seemed to be something that Coops saved for me and no one else. Who knows why?

My beastie…

Being the soft hearted woman that I am, that wink melted me. I knew in my heart that Marley had come home.

Since that love-at-first-sight moment last Friday afternoon, we’ve witnessed miracles; by the end of day one. Marley and Sophie ate together peacefully in the dog room and walked well together on leash. By day two, Shiva was flirting, and by day three Shiva, Sophie, and Marley were all eating together, sitting together with us by the fireplace- just like we’d all been together for years.

My walking pals…

The dynamics have changed for the better, too. Shiva no longer chases Sophie; instead she seems to worship Marley and is much more calm and steady around the dogs than ever before (don’t get me wrong- Shiva is still Shiva…). They’ve become a little pack of three, such a sweet thing- something that makes my heart incredibly happy.

I am so grateful that I trusted my heart and that Dan trusted me. We couldn’t ask for a more perfect fit for our home and for us, and I am excited for the adventures that lie ahead with Marley at my side.