Monday, September 25, 2017

DOG'S DAY

Sometimes, walking past a shop, a dog, any dog, large or small, cute or ugly, sitting there humbly, patiently, loyally, insignificantly waiting for its human partner to come out, moves me almost to tears. I want to tell the dog that I love it and I want to bless it.

Not that I'm especially a dog lover, or even a cat lover - apart from Pushkin, the visiting cat whose slave I am. I do appreciate all animals but when I come across that look which a dog has on its doggy face when it's waiting for its master or mistress to come back from a temporary absence...that look of absolute concentration and hopeful, pleading, optimistic but fearful waitiing....an arrow hits a bull's eye in my heart. Call it sentimentality or anthropomorphism or whatever you like but it's real.

At that moment the dog, it seems to me, is exactly like we humans...some of us...are when in our heads, in certain circumstances, we silently pray: please God just make this (whatever it is) happen and I will be yours forever. Or thoughts to that effect. The dog's expression is like a prayer. A prayer for salvation but with no certainty that it will be granted.

10 comments:

Catalyst said...

Yes.

Tom said...

Can't comment. Hurts too much.

Unknown said...

Oh my gosh. It was raining. Raining cats and dogs. It occurs to me he looks like a roads scholar sniffing out the scent of the highway (or food). Probably a contemplative type of pooch. They say dogs have noses like a sieve: a good filter. I bet he'll be okay. Maybe he's just taking a bath. Sweet!

Natalie d'Arbeloff said...

Bruce, yes yes!

Tom: xxx

Leah: I got that photo off the internet and know nothing about it. It was just to illustrate my post.

Roads scholar/Rhodes scholar!

Unknown said...

No, simply a road scholar. :)

Unknown said...

You wax religious; I wax philosophical; bark! bark! Now I have go find Wayne. I love your blog!

Natalie d'Arbeloff said...

Leah, I wax philosophioal too. All my books and bags are philosophically waxed.
Is Wayne your dog? Don't keep him waiting or Wayning!

Unknown said...

Sometimes we are doomed to fail by our own folly. And, no, Wayne, isn't my dog. I just had to go to the John. :)

Unknown said...

I was speaking in generalities.

Natalie d'Arbeloff said...

Generalities are fine. You're always welcome.