November 30, 2017

White Dog gently tapped me and nodded. She was smiling despite the din of the White Dog Army sending Steve off to work. I pulled my gaze from the window and looked in the other direction.

There, standing on the couch, barking with gusto as he watched the van back down the driveway was Tizenegy.

There is something magical that shines brighter than ever again about the moment a new recruit to the White Dog Army fully accepts that it is real. That they are really part of the pack and they can let down their "best behavior" guard and just be.

You can watch the light dawn. There are minutes of indecision, of inching forward, moving confidently, to only stop and back up. But they are drawn. Something inside...EVERY time I have seen it happen...challenges, pushes, insists that the new recruit stretch the envelope and test.

Teez was like that. He had paced back and forth in front of the sofa as Steve exited. He stood still and watched Sachi effortlessly, without thought, jump up. He walked over to where Zso and Pearl shared the watching chair, passed Bailey standing on the end table, turned where Bella stood on the back of the other window chair, and paused to see Opal leap to see better on the leather chair.

He stood in front of the couch. Barking with the others but wanting the FULL experience. There must be a little voice that says, "but what if momma gets mad, or the others turn on me? I don't want to screw up" that threatens action. But the soul, the wise universal connection, says, "you KNOW you are HOME and it will be all right."

I did not see it but know in my heart he took a deep breath, cleared his doubt and wrapped himself around believing in us...in himself...in our bonded commitment...

and he jumped UP, right onto the furniture! Quick panic was shoved aside.

It felt like a victory, like the light was pouring over him. Teez stood proudly on the cushion with heard thrown back and howled an "I am home!" song.

He tensed when he saw me looking at him but knew instantly from my "Look at you! What a good boy!" that he would not be stopped from settling onto the cushions, chin on paws, to relish his moment.

As usual, momma had no camera to document the event but truly, as WD pointed out, times like these are best captured by the heart.