JOURNALING:
Kismet
When Mandy went over the Rainbow Bridge in 1995, it was winter. I had fallen in love with the Shih Tzu breed and knew I wanted another one ASAP. My mother counseled that I should wait until spring to get a new pup because housebreaking a dog in winter could be a very COLD proposition.
Our city has a huge all-breed dog show in spring, so it seemed logical that I could find a Shih Tzu breeder there and the timing would be perfect. Well, that didn't work out. I was looking all over for a breeder without success. I found a male pup in Florida and was considering driving down there, even though I really wanted a female.
Then KISMET stepped in. I was staying with my mother while redecorating my condo. One day when we went out to the property to do some work, we were about to turn onto my street when I saw a woman walking a dog. Even though I'm rather shy, I quickly parked the car and approached this stranger to ask about her pup. After a short conversation, she told me she had the breeder's name and number at home and would call me with the information when she got back home.
I called the breeder and was thrilled when she told me she just happened to have one female pup left from the last litter. My heart swelled with anticipation of having my Shih Tzu dream come true. Then, the crushing news - "Now, she's not perfect."
My mind raced with dire visions of some terrible deformity or health condition until she went on to state, "She does not have a black rim around one eye." Tears of relief filled my eyes. "So, she'll never go Best in Show at Westminster," I thought, relieved.
We made arrangements to drive to a small town south of where we lived to see the pup. The location was beautiful. The house magnificent. We were greeted by a barking Brittany. And, glancing at the back deck, I saw all of these darling, flat-faced, curly tailed pups staring back!
After being escorted into the living room by the breeder's husband while his wife went upstairs to get the pup, I noticed several Shih Tzus staring down at us from the staircase. And then the husband asked, "Do you mind if I let the dogs in from the deck?" Did I mind? HECK NO! I was immediately inundated by a SHIH TZU sea. Seventh heaven!
And then the breeder brought her in. My so-to-be new baby, with the imperfect pink-rimmed eye.
And thus began a 14-year love affair with "May-Ling O'Leary" until her journey to the Rainbow Bridge. The breeder was wrong about her, she WAS perfect!
And that woman walking her dog on a fine spring day those many years ago? I'd never seen her before and never saw her again. KISMET.
CREDITS: KIT: Bergen by Lynn Grieveson; FONT: Comic Sans
