Muffin In Boots

So today were getting hit with another major snow storm. I decided to put boots on my dog and it was so WONDERFUL and special. You see about 7 years ago I used to run with my 10 pound Maltese Dog, Muffin. I had invested in running boots (sold by neopaws.com) to protect her paws while she ran with me on the road. What I remember in those early days is that when she wore those boots she ran so hard and so fast, it felt like she was a tiny wild stallion exploding with furious speed. Surely if she were the size of a horse shed be a Triple Crown winner. And then maybe 4 years ago the running ended.

It all started because someone on the side of the road screamed the crap out of me for abusing my cute dog by having her run. It was a lady possibly in her 60s screaming with veangance calling me with all the nastiest anger in her heart. She called with words like “most disgusting person,” “worst *#!@ bastard” and possibly a bit worst. It definitely hit me hard. I was so very pissed at that lady. I also lost interest in running. And then a few of days later Virginia and I went for a walk with Muffin and at the end of the walk Muffin was limping. We took her to the vet, and he prescribed anti-inflammitaries and asked me to consider knee surgery. Muffin eventually recovered, but while she was recovering I was devastated. The screaming of that lady now really hurt now. I watched Muffin try to do some of her silly things and she would collapse as her hurt leg gave out.

I would never run with Muffin again. In fact I almost never ran again. I would discourage Muffin from running period. Im always just a bit scared. I can always hear her knee caps clicking and its a constant reminder to be careful, but I have to say she doesnt seem to care in the least.

So back to the present.

I had noticed the cold snow seemed to bother Muffins paws. She’d come back with chunks of ice sticking to her legs. I feared it might be bad for her knees. So I dug out those boots from the past and put them on her.

Then WHAMMO, Muffin came to life. Her face lit up as if to say to her boots:
“where have you been!”

She started running around in the apartment around, and around, and around so many times. She ran so hard inside the apartment that the rubber soul of her boots left black skid marks all over the kitchen floor. She was ready to go for a run!

I put on my boots and when we hit the hallway she exploded with fury, running harder than I can remember in a very long time. I had no choice but to run to keep up with her. We got outside in the snow and she turned into a wild Alaskan Huskie madly running thru snow that went over her head at times. She was in absolute bliss in those magical boots that turned her into super Muffin, with super speed.

It was just so great for me to see this. It was like that moment in the past came back and Muffin was just saying to me :

“thanks so much for the running days. The glory days are back! Yea Daddy, man Daddy just live life to the fullest. This is great. Just run, run, run so hard until you can’t run and then just run!”

I can’t quite fully place it, but when I see my Dog run with so much enthusiasm it makes me smile inside. That smile inside is kind of like the Source. Maybe it is the Source?

So now Ive been putting boots on my dog when we go out in the snow. Its funny. Its heart warming. Its healing but its so much more that; so the best I can say is: It just is.

« »