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Falling in Love Again
I fell in love again. And it happened just like that!
Posted September 30, 2019
I fell in love again. And it happened just like that! I didn’t think I wanted to or even that I could. When Emma was so sick, I actually contemplated that she would be our last dog.
“I can’t go through this again,” I heard myself saying.
Yet, after she passed away, within 24 hours, I was looking at dogs online. As part of my grief process, I obsessively looked at all types of dogs as well as the cute videos of dogs kissing their humans, dogs playing with horses, and dogs “talking.” I just couldn’t get enough of dog photos.
My husband Paul was in mourning as well, for he loved Emma very deeply. He appreciated her easy-going nature and keen mind; she seemed to anticipate his needs and desires and always aimed to please him. During our period of immediate grief (yet after I decided I couldn’t live without another dog), Paul shared his thoughts on one of our early-morning walks (we were determined to keep walking even without a pup by our sides).
“You know, we have had dogs for almost 30 years. Sometimes, ‘dog people’ come to the point in their lives when they might feel that they don’t want to have another.”
I knew where the conversation was heading, so I immediately shared my thoughts. “You are right. I totally understand how some people, especially those who are getting older (like us) and enjoy traveling (like us) may not feel the need for another dog or even want the responsibility again. But, I am not one of those people. I have to have another dog.”
There… I said it! And he heard me, as he has done for 43+ years, honoring my feelings when he sensed that there were to be few negotiations about what mattered most to me. While I turned him into a "dog person" 27 years ago with Teddy and 14 years later with Emma, I knew we were not ready to be dogless.
I am grateful for how we found six-month-old Molly. I searched Petfinder and Adopt-A-Pet, online databases that compile pictures and profiles of dogs and cats from countless rescue places. I began my quest on August 11th (Emma passed away on August 10th), and on September 28th, Molly came to live with us.
Her early months before she came to Los Angeles were harrowing and a testament to her sweet spirit that she possessed such unconditional love and affection. We rescued her through an amazing organization: LIFE (Living is for Everyone) Animal Rescue.
The organization began in 1992, focusing on saving dogs around Los Angeles. In 2013, they began working internationally in Thailand, China, Korea, and Doha, Qatar.
LIFE Animal Rescue states,
“It has become part of our mission to share some of our love and treatment of animals with those so much less fortunate. To give a dog that has only known cruelty their first kind word and loving touch. Their first home.
We can’t save the world. We can’t even begin to make a dent in the atrocities that go on in our world every day. But a life is a life no matter what country their fate put them in. These dogs stand zero chance of survival and are destined to die a horrifying death. Rescue should not know borders, and no matter where a dog is saved, that is a life saved that should be embraced with open arms no matter the origin.”
Our good-natured, lovable Molly was rescued from South Korea, where she would have been killed and eaten.
I look at her as she peacefully sleeps on the soft, multi-colored round rug in my home office next to her pink, stuffed rabbit. I look at her as she showers my face with kisses. Her adoring, huge, round brown eyes smile at me when she sees me, and it’s unfathomable to think of her fate had she not been saved by LIFE Animal Rescue.
Molly found us just as much as we found her. I was initially looking for a poodle-mix, another fluffy, furry Emma-type (but in a different color). Low and behold, we fell in love with Molly, a Tibetan terrier mix. She has long, straight, white, black, and brown hair as if she had streaks added. She is still underweight, but I will do my best to add a few pounds to her.
Most of all, Paul and I adore our new furry child! Molly has changed our house, yet again, back to technicolor from black and white, reminding us that the love of a furry child is quite indescribable and still quite necessary for us.
And just like that, I fell in love again!
