Letter to Shyla

We are participating in a Blog Hop hosted by Murphy and Stanley called "Letter to my Dog". If you read this post anyplace except at romp-roll-rockies.blogspot.com, please visit that link to go to the original copyrighted and complete version.

My dog, Shyla...

Dear Shyla,

You came into my life 2 ½ years ago at a time when each of us was in the throes of tough times. I’d lost my beloved K, way too young, to cancer shortly before I met you. And, you were a young dog who was filled with fears of almost every aspect of our world. When I first saw you, you had bite marks on your face and unknown aches in your heart.

You needed me to teach you how to stand tall in our world, and I needed you to let me cry in your fur. We weren’t ideally suited to each other at that instant in time but I knew that we’d somehow find our way, dancing among the obstacles like you do everyday in the forest.

The level of your fear of everything in our world was incomprehensible to me. With lots of help, I learned how to guide you so that you can happily live in our world. Along the way, I learned patience, patience, and more patience. I know – I still forget to be patient sometimes, and I apologize for that.

But, despite my shortcomings, you’ve grown up into an amazing, loving, and sensitive dog. I feel lucky that we have you in our lives.

I’m starting to feel as if you watch over me like I watch over you. We've become like sisters who have each others' backs. I'm savoring every day we have together.

Now, you are my constant companion. You're the one who endures the cold to see the alpenglow on the snowy mountains at sunrise with me and then endures the cold again to watch the sunset with me. You join me on snow bike rides in the winter, mountain bike rides in the summer, and lots of hikes all year long.

You've recently become comfortable with snuggling - which I adore. You love to crawl from the foot of the bed and put your head on my shoulder as I hug you. There was a time, soon after we'd met, that I didn't feel sure that you'd ever trust me enough to let me hug you tight. Now you do.

Now I know that our bond is forever. You're my girl and I'm your human. You can count on it.