SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES?

OR DOGS?

The room was still and dark in the early morning. The alarm had awoken TLW (The Little Woman), in place of the dog’s usual urging. This was indeed a break from the daily pattern of Happy’s whining and sniffing. TLW gingerly swept the blankets away and placed her two feet on the rug and stood at the side of the bed.

Looking down at the dog, TLW noticed the stillness of which the dog lay. The quiet of the early rising, the darkness of the room, and her careful patterns not to disturb me in my sleep, made TLW reach down and gently nudge the dog.

Nothing happened. TLW, with her usual persistence, nudged the dog once again. Still, the cocker refused to move, lying very still, it seemed dead, under TLW’s prodding!

Giving her beloved dog one more nudge, she was greeted with no response.

TLW thought: “She’s dead! I guess she is so old she died in her sleep, and that is why she didn’t awaken me this morning!” Then TLW had an additional thought: “I’ll let her lay here with Joe, and he can deal with it when he awakens.

Just then, the dog sprung to life.

Happy ending to an almost sorry tale, you suggest?

Not on your life.

Let’s get back to her last thought, leaving me to sleep with a dead dog!

Not funny.

Not even cute. Now, I take out the garbage, do all the dirty work when asked (I’m no fool), and put up with a lot, but let me sleep with a dead dog?

I asked TLW that evening at dinner, what would happen when she finds me one morning, in a final state? Would she let Happy sleep with me?

“No, no, with you I would call for help, I would want to clean the room.”


Please remember all those that need our hopes and prayers, including my brother-in-law, John.