THE PEANUT GALLERY: Puppy Love

There are not many certainties in this world. Not may things we can really bank on. But when the chips are down, and I'm down and out on the couch, sweating out Man Cold, I can count on this:

I had two days of this.

That is my best friend, my therapy dog. She taught me how to be a dad long before Peanut came along. We were like peas and carrots, me and Luna. And then, Peanut DID come along...

The first meeting.

Theirs is perpetually a relationship under construction, each finding their proper place and demanding their personal space.

Someone's hogging the bed AND the remote

Still, nearly six years later, you can tell Luna finds herself yearning for that quieter, simpler time when it was just the three of us:

That's Luna on my back, posing for our
"What Child Is THIS?!" Christmas card

Luna and Peanut have a complicated relationship, like any other siblings. They are happy to see each other, yet often choose to ignore each other. (And sometimes there's growling involved.) They both have a sense of entitlement. Luna because she was here first. Peanut because she is a human being.

"I can really use some quiet right now."

No matter what, there is always love. A smile, a wag of the tail, a pet and a kiss...

Always sharing secrets

And within the past month or so, a change. A metamorphosis. An awakening of sorts. Peanut has a newfound affection for Luna. Before this, Peanut's interactions were more forced. Obligatory. And less genuine affection...

There was a time we could pose them as we wished.

Now, years of my saying "Imagine how happy you would be to see us if you were home alone all this time" have finally paid off. Peanut is not only happy to see her when we come home, she borders on mauling her...

Their faces epitomize their relationship.

They are sisters. Playmates. Couch co-habitants. Snack sharers. And fellow adventurers on our voyages through the park.

One of my favorite pictures of them.

Peanut's first word was Luna. She doesn't know a world without her. Ask her who taught her to be funny, and she'll answer "Luna."

With you as my co-pilot.

Best friends forever, with The Dog That Changed the World.