Buttercup and Baxter
HeartSong's songs of my heart
It is difficult to put into words who these little soulmates are and the place they have in my heart. My mother suffered thru an illness that debilitated her body and challenged all our spirits. Both my IGs came into our lives during those years. Both of these precious souls helped us, and all who surrounded us, to handle whatever came. They still help me, and all who surround me, handle whatever comes.
Baxter came to us soon after. I came across him in an abusive situation and worked for months to get him out of it. (How could anyone have hit him?) By the time he came home to me, his ribs were sticking out like fingers and he was terrified. I just sat and sat and crooned and crooned until he slowly came up to me and melted in an exhausted puddle in my lap. We fell in love with him and he with us. It was such fun working with him and watching him come out of his fears and into his natural state of joyful innocent abandon. I took him to agility training and it was wonderful for him. He excelled at it! Each obstacle was a new fear to conquer and he grew to love conquering them. It took over a year for his healing. He loved us so much and loved us loving him. Poor mom…he would sit between her and the tv blocking her view…preening and posing and so proud she was looking at him. And she would yell and then feed him choice tidbits from her tray. I have never experienced this brand of love before. He doesn’t just climb into bed with me, he tries to climb under my skin. He’s amazing…He’s happy, always happy, and so innocent…a toy player, a sock stealer and a perfect timer to let me know when a girl is ready to breed. It’s a good thing he’s too small to reach.
Buttercup (Little Butt, Butterball, Buttcup) came first. She was my first sighthound and I will never look back. Mom was so lonely and scared for the winter coming up. I went into a pet store to purchase bird seed (PLEASE KNOW!! I KNOW BETTER THEN THIS!!) and there she was…. Her small face and perfect white little body…sitting with her legs crossed staring at me as hard as she could….immobile in the noise and commotion of people and puppies yapping and playing. It was like being in another dimension amidst the chaos. I must have asked a girl to bring her to me, for next I knew, I was sitting cross legged on the ground with her seated on my lap, front feet on my chest. She reached up her paw and touched my face, then curled into my body. Mom also fell in love and we bought her home to keep mom company thru the winters ahead…..with the condition she would NEVER come to my home as I had a large aggressive dog that would eat her for a snack. HA!! Within 3 weeks she came to me. And what a joy she has been ever since. She is a teacher, a healer and a friend. She’ll work a room of people, going from one to the next and sitting with them till they visibly breathe and relax. Many clients have experienced her love. If the pain is deep, she will leave them long enough to be sick and then come back to love them more. I’ve had to stop allowing her to stay in the room while I work. And many dogs have experienced her teachings! Little puppies to large dogs listen very carefully to what she has to say and she has no problem saying it several times just for the fun of it. She is my love…as inseparable from me as my heart.
When Mom died, both these dogs kept vigil…curling up with her thru the last hours and beyond…not allowing loud noises in the room…gently greeting each coming in to see her…joining the prayer circle as she left. These tiny little dogs with the huge souls were her guardians. And they continue to be mine.
