We’re still living in the hybrid-imaginary world of Gita and Gata. Most mornings wake up and tell us about the island they live on, their blue house and meanderings that I assume to be dreams from the previous night. I tried to throw you off the other day by telling you I was going to visit them. Unphased, you asked if you could come and penciled out a map for how to get to their house in 10 hours. I decided that was too long to drive.
You are becoming very animated in your communications. A lot of body language. Very Italian. When you agree to something you enthusiastically say, “Yessah!” The rise in the “ah” at the end is a dialect of your own creation. You also continue to keep a song in your heart and created your own song the other day for Greta. You sang over and over, “Sweetie, I love you. Sweetie, I love you.” It’s February and you must be feeling those Valentine’s vibes already.
Despite your serenade to Greta, you continue to be a little too rough with the dog. You give her a lot of body check, a hard fur tug or just directly try to stick your fingers in her eyes, ears and nose. I get in your own face when I see it. I need no further evidence that dog is an angel because she has not once showed her teeth to warn you off. She sometimes groans out of annoyance and scurries away, but that’s it. And you persist. I wish I had the same patience as Greta because walking away and removing attention from bad behavior is the “right” way to change it. This also proves that Greta is older, in dog years, and much more mature than I am.
Despite some pet misbehavior, you have told us that you want to be an animal doctor when you grow up, and I can see it. You do love Greta and all animals. When I was your age I enjoyed digging up and collecting (read: killing) bugs in a bin and even remember playing animal hospital, turning stuffed animals into patients. That obviously didn’t become my calling later in life, but it did instill a real love and empathy for animals. It’s simply true that no one will be excited to see you after an hour or a week away than a dog. As with most relationships, the more you give, the more you get back.
If you don’t believe me, just ask Gita and Gata.
Love, Dad