Very Brave Dog

When I was a kid, I remember my Mom and my Granny laughing themselves silly over the writings of Erma Bombeck. Erma was an American humorist, syndicated columnist, and author of 15 books.

She wrote about midwestern suburban home life from the mid 1960’s to the late 1990’s.

I lost track of Erma toward the end, perhaps because in the 1980’s and 1990’s there was nothing much in my life that resembled midwestern suburban housewives.

I do, however, come from a long line of women just like that and I speak the language. I get the jokes. I’ve even eaten lots of the recipes. There may even have been one for tuna-noodle casserole with crushed potato chips on top. (Sorry, Bill!)

Yesterday, as I sat with Luther and our dear Auntie Kate in the ophthalmology exam room of the “specialty” veterinarians, Erma came to mind.

We were chatting, Kate and I, about dogs we’ve loved and how much I appreciate that she and the gang at Jabula Dog Academy love my herd, too.

(Deep breaths, everybody… “Freddy,” as the old camp nurse saying goes, “is fine.” Or, in this case, Luther.)

I was pretty certain, though, as we waited, what the questions were about to be.

Kate observed that Luther was my heart dog and an article from Erma Bombeck popped into my mind.

(Academic that I am, I tried to look the exact quote up, but I’m Hearth Tending today, the girls just got home from Camp, there’s a Journeywoman meeting in about 15 minutes and a Codex buddy coming at 5:00. And I have to feed the beasties in the middle. So, for today, here’s what I remember, which is, in many ways, the real quote anyway.)

Erma wrote that somebody once asked her if she loved all her children the same.

Surprisingly, from a wonder mother with the good sense of humor, the answer was, “No.”

“The one I love the most,” she went on, “is the one who needs me the most in the moment.”

This may work the same way for grandchildren, too!

Let me say again, “Freddy is fine!” Luther, however, who is blind and had been missing his security sisters for about a day and a half, is going to need eye surgery. Relatively soon.

That means more strange places and more strange people and oddly missing sisters for a couple of days.

Which will kind of leave me solo seeing eye being. And Luther needing a little more love than usual.

You all are invited to join in! Bless his heart, he loves everybody!!!!

And please feel free to make dots!

While you’re making dots, a few for my teacher, business partner, and very dear friend, please. He had a heart attack and is recovering from procedures in the hospital.

As Wednesdays go, this has been a long one!