Meet Charvie: My New Puppy

I try to focus this blog on weight loss surgery. But you know? I'm human and here is a really cool thing. We have brought home a new puppy and he is a sweetheart bundle of love. The following is from my personal journal September 3:

The lights of our dog kennel building have been dark for two years, one month and two days. At twilight, on July 31, 2006 I shut the door to the building, not long after we buried our departed Howard, the Old English Sheepdog, of extraordinary joy and sensitive spirit.

Another dog? No. I could not imagine opening my heart to another canine love. Howard was my one and only.

When is the right time to find new love? How do we know when the heart has healed and we give ourselves permission to love again?

We turned the kennel lights on yesterday and swept away the cobwebs. Reminiscing, I washed the grooming brushes and the combs and the feeding bowls. I found new play toys and a couple training collars. We secured the fence and made the space ready.

And my heart opened, and Charvie came home to me.

Charvie, born May 25, 2008, is a show-quality Australian Shepherd pup born in a litter of four, proudly presented by his dame and sire to our good friends, the buffalo ranchers, Rex and Rhonda. Rhonda has been saving Charvie for me since he opened his eyes: you see, he is walleyed just like my beloved Howard: one blue eye; one brown eye.

"But the time is not right, Rhonda, I am too busy for a puppy," I told her over and over again. And she replied, persistently, "But this puppy is RIGHT for YOU. Open your heart, come meet him. You belong to him."

And so it was, love at first sight.
Charvie came home with me.

How do we know when the time is right for new love?
How do we keep an open heart?

I don't know the answers. But what I do know is that when I finally had the courage and gave Charvie the chance, I fell in love. And it was time to turn on the lights of that kennel building and let my heart love again.

Welcome home Charvie – You Have Arrived. And I am so happy you are here.

PS: The name Charvie is a derivative of Charlie and Harvey: my husband's two best friends who left this earth much too young. Wherever you are Charlie and Harvey, hold the faith: you are riding shotgun again.