Mabel came into my life in August of 2012. My brother and sister-in-law had adopted her brother, Jerome and I fell instantly in love with his wrinkled little face and puppy snores. Mabel was originally slated for another family, but when the opportunity came up to bring her home, I decided to go it. Prior to Mabel, I was single living in Chicago in a condo I loved with a pretty organized life and schedule. I went into full panic mode about two weeks before bringing her home. By nature, I am a Type A planner. I read every book on bulldogs I could read. I made lots of checklists and bought enough gadgets to raise a human, let alone a puppy. The books said, “If the crate is the right size, the puppy will not pee in it”. Mabel peed in hers a few times that first night. I was convinced we were already doomed! Our first 24 hours were a little rough. I had friends with dogs come over and help me realize, I could handle this and yes, at some point I would be able to leave my house again. =) On night two, after I had already changed the towel in her crate once, I finally stopped reading the books and did exactly what they told me not to do. I picked her up and let her sleep on my chest on the couch. We both slept soundly and I when I woke up in the morning and looked at those little puppy eyes, I knew we would not only be OK; we’d figure it out together. Sleeping on some part of my body has pretty much been Mabel’s favorite activity ever since. Mabel has been my greatest metaphor for life. Sometimes you can do all the planning in the world, and it doesn’t matter; you’ve got to roll with it. Sometimes not following the exact rules, is where you find the real fun.
We often think of what we do to care for dogs but they do so much more for us. I really struggled to find my place after I left Chicago and moved back to Columbus. Adam, my now husband traveled for work quite a bit and I felt really lost. I loved Chicago (more on that later…) and missed the comfort of my city, my friends and my family. During this time, Mabel was truly my best friend. She could sense when I was sad and would curl up with me just when I needed her. When I was anxious, just petting her by my side would calm me. And when I did venture back to Chicago for the weekend, Adam would send me a picture of Mabel sitting by the door waiting for me. She always reminded me, that no matter where I was, I needed to come home to her. And with every trip, we’ve been lucky enough to take, she is always in the back of my mind. When the trip is complete, I pack my bags and come home to my best girl.
She may not be able to talk but her expressions say it all. I’ll hope you’ll enjoy getting to know as we affectionately call her, The Mabes.
Postcards To Mabel 