1173 – My Valentine

Misha on a play day with a friend.. I’ve joined her pack.

There is no escape. I am possessed.

 

  • Misha
  • Centro, Morelia, Michoacán, México
  • February 11, 2020

She stands there, secure in the knowledge that after a few weeks, I am possessed. She’s a terrier of the streets, taken in by a friend who saved her after she had been hit by a car. She didn’t sustain any lasting problems but my friends have three male chihuahuas and a female terrier twice their size was not making life easier. So, during an evening chat in the walkway that joins our little neighborhood – they asked – would I like to have a friend?

For years I was a “cat man.” I’ve had several cats in my lifetime and I always enjoyed their temperament and aloof, independent nature. But, things changed when I lived with a partner and several chihuahuas for many years. I easily fell into love with small dogs. Their defiant, proud nature that says, “size means nothing. The bond of the heart is everything.” took me. It’s hard not to love a small animal that loves you enough to try to protect you from a beast 3 times their size.

Of course, I said yes. I got the necessities for her (bed, leash, harness, food, dishes, etc.) and she came home. I am extremely lucky. She doesn’t bark, she’s house-trained, is about 3 years old, loves to go for walks, wants to say a warm hello to everyone she meets, and is just the right size for a city dog. She has quickly taken over my life. I am now part of a pack of two animals – me and Misha. Misha wasn’t the name she knew when she came to me and I have no idea where the thought to use that name for her came from. It just occured to me and she took to it immediately. I think it was her spirit name all along and she just passed it to me when she came to the place she accepted as home. And of course, it is a name that Mexicans understand immediately because although it has no inherent meaning, it is pronounced just as it is written.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

2 Responses

  1. Stacey says:

    I can’t wait to meet your new Valentine!