Man's Best Friend

Life as an empty nester, other than when my youngest child is home for her college breaks, has provided quality bonding time for my husband and me.  Mealtimes are especially conducive to sharing the ups and downs of our lives and our thoughts on any given topic.

The other night at our kitchen table as I was trying to talk to David about one of my ongoing sagas – and I have to say he is a most captive audience much of the time – I noticed that while he nodded at me periodically, he was rather preoccupied ogling our doggy.  At first I just ignored it and kept talking, louder and louder, but then as their play became more intense, I realized he was totally engrossed in communicating not with his wife but with his dog.   

I told my husband that I feel like I’m competing with Shea doggy for his attention.  Without missing a beat, he said, “No, you’re not…you’ll lose every time.”

Then when I told David that he’s going to pay for that comment in my blog, he said I should add this line:  “I know there’s one thing I could never give David like Shea does:  unconditional love.”

My natural inclination was to feel somewhat offended that my husband was so quick to respond that Shea can give something so important to him that I can’t.  And talk about adding insult to injury – first I felt like the odd man out with the two of them carrying on and then I’m actually told why that’s the case. 

As they followed each other around the house the rest of the night, I thought about what David had said and decided he’s right.  Shea gives him pure and unadulterated love and affection, and there's no end to it.  No wonder David loves him so.

I also had a heart-to-heart with myself and decided that there’s no reason to feel threatened by Shea or succumb to jealousy at this point in my life when I’ve managed most of my years without it.  While their bond is powerful and transcends words, ours does too, in different ways, of course.  After all, I am David’s wife and Shea is, well, a dog.

At bedtime, the two of them headed upstairs first.  Once I finished my nighttime routine in the bathroom and walked toward our bed, there they were…David and Shea…face to face, on David’s pillow.  I climbed right in.   

I must’ve disturbed their special moment though, because the second I joined them under the covers, Shea repositioned himself to the foot of our bed. 

I guess he didn’t like being the third wheel either.