Throughout history there have been many volumes written on the sacred relationship between dog and man. Lassie and Timmy (usually found in a well somewhere), the constellation Orion and his trusty hunting companion Canis Major, Rin Tin Tin and his Police buddies, George Jetson and Astro, Scooby and Shaggy, Pluto and Mickey, Snoopy and Charlie Brown.... the list goes on and on. And here today to add to the eternal K9 pantheon, I present Annabelle, aka The Belle.
I wasn't even looking for a dog when we met. I was going on a photography assignment to photograph a new litter of Saint Bernard puppies for a local breeder. A simple assignment really, and not one that I would have expected would change my life. Like many people, I'd never met a Saint Bernard in person, and had only vague ideas of hairy, drooly dogs running through the snowy Alps with little barrels of rum hanging from around their necks. When I rounded the corner of the backyard and came into the dog pen, I was immediately greeted by a swarm of the cutest little things on four legs I had ever seen. There seemed to be a sea of them, brown and white splotches, impossible to tell one from another, as they toppled over each other in their enthusiasm to greet me. The rest of the afternoon was spent cooing and petting and playing on the ground with all of them. Eventually I remembered I was there to do a job, but clearly professionalism was pretty much out the window at that point. After shooting, the breeder invited me to come back to see the puppies again and offered me a 50% discount as a partial fee payment if I wanted a puppy. I was barely out of college, had no long term permanent place to live, had only recently returned from a long term stay in Africa, and had absolutely NO idea what I wanted to do or where my life was leading me. Getting a dog, much less a gigantor Saint Bernard, was one of the dumbest things I could do. I couldn't even consider it. Could I?
As I tried to tear myself away from the puppies I looked at each of them and thought, if I were to get a puppy, which one would I want. They were all just so cute and sweet and alert, everything you look for in a puppy. But I just couldn't decide. So I told the breeder I would think about it, but probably not and thank you very much for the offer. It was exactly 48 hours before I was back on her doorstep ready to pick out my unwise decision, I mean puppy. I had it narrowed down to two dogs. I just needed a little bit more time with them before I could be sure. So we went to return to the backyard, and as I followed the puppy peddler through the gate, there she was. It was like a halo of light was shining all around her (cue the rainbow and Hallelujah Chorus). She looked at me, I looked at her, and she ran to me, almost in slow motion. Her ears and lips flapping in the wind as she tripped through the yard, I laughed as her little legs tried desperately to keep up with her enthusiasm. At the time I thought it was just the drama of the moment that made time seem suspended, although it didn't take much more time for me to realize that Saints do actually move in slow motion as they're not much prone to high action, or anything involving much energy, or sometimes movement of any kind. Anyway, as she landed in a heap on my feet, I scooped her up in my arms and held the sweetest, softest bundle of fur I had ever laid eyes on. I knew she hadn't been here when I visited before, because this was definitely love at first sight. I asked the breeder where she had been and was told that she was first pick of the litter and that a buyer had put a deposit down on her. When I was there she had been set aside for the people to come pick up, but they never showed up. When she asked if I wanted to take this puppy home, I yelled "YES SHE'S MINE!" as my new puppy licked my face and neck.
I'll grant you that my recollection of the beginning of our partnership seems somewhat slanted and dramatic, and some have suggested that maybe it didn't happen exactly like that, but I assure you it did. One other sidenote: I'm a person that believes strongly in prayer. I pray in thankfullness, in times of fear, in need of direction, in joy, and at most points of major decision in my life. It is a big part of my relationship with God, and whether it's understood or not, it's precious to me. So I prayed and asked God about this dog situation. I knew it made no sense and that it wasn't the most logical thing to do. But I just couldn't get those little puppies out of my head. I asked that when I went back it would be clear to me. That if I was going to have a dog, then that I would choose the exact right dog for me, and that I would be the absolute best home for that dog for the rest of it's life. If that wasn't going to be the case, then I didn't want one. So I wasn't sure what to expect when I went, but I did think that there would possibly be something to guide me to the right decision. And when I saw her I just knew. The way you know when anything is completely right. She just fit. When I went to name her I thought through several options. When I thought about the name Annabelle, I broke it up and found that Anna meant "full of grace" and Belle meant "beautiful." But when I looked it up Annabelle was defined simply as "lovable." I thought nothing could be more perfect. Annabelle.
Now here we are now, almost ten years later. She doesn't exactly fit in my arms the way she did that first day, but not much about our relationship has changed. She still follows me around like a puppy, and I still can't get enough of her. In my young freedom I moved around the country quite a bit, and no matter where I went, there was Annabelle. I can't even begin to list here the different scenarios we lived in and places we bounced around, to and from. Not much about my life was predictable and things were always changing, but she was the constant in my life. When I was happy, excited, scared, lonely, sad..... always right there just waiting to shower me with unrestrained love and adoration was my sweet Belle. Many people have had special dogs in their life, and this one is no exception. I can say with all honesty that she has seen me through the hardest parts of my life. And some of my very best memories have her right there in the middle of them as well. I have learned more from her than I would ever have imagined possible, which I'm sure I'll elaborate on more in future posts. But mainly I'm just so thankful for the love that God can give us through such a simple relationship. I'm not going to glorify her completely and claim that she is the smartest, most obedient, best trained dog in the world. If I did, I feel confident that lightning would surely strike me down. Anyone that knows her well at all knows that Annabelle isn't the brightest bulb in the box. She's not stupid (regardless of what my father says), but observant is not exactly a word I'd use to describe her. She may bark in the wrong direction of whatever is making the curious noise, and she may routinely sit on top of unsuspecting people, or other dogs, or pretty much anything unfortunate enough to be wherever she decides to plop herself down. But she is undeniably the most affectionate, loving, and singularly loyal dog anyone has ever known. She is joyfully oblivious to, well, most things, but in this case ignorance truly is bliss. All she knows is that she is loved and fed and that her entire life's happiness rests on one simple factor: me. She loves me more than anyone has a right to be loved by anyone. No matter what situation I have put her in, she adores me. When I have scolded her and punished her, she comes to me for comfort. When she has been hurt (a few times very, very badly) she runs to me to fix it. My family laughs because there is literally nothing she won't let me do with her. Even in extreme discomfort, she trusts me completely, and never even pulls away in pain. And when I am struggling or sick, somehow my oblivious sweetheart knows, and refuses to leave my side. I have been known to hide my crying from her because it upsets her so much. She is, when all is said and done, one of the best bad decisions I've ever made.
Like many people whose family members walk on four legs, Annabelle is like a first child to me. Granted, I do recognize the difference between her and an actual baby (even if it may seem that I don't). But for now, I'm content to love her completely, without any competition for my affection or attention. I started writing this post because of a portrait I painted of her. But as I write I realize I may have had more to say about her than I would have anticipated. It's funny how the most unexpected things in life can end up having the most impact. Love comes in all shapes and sizes and colors and forms. Love is without reason and logic and doesn't recognize limits or regulations. Love, by it's very nature, is both consuming and explosive. I encourage anyone today to take a quick note of the loves in your life, be it people, pets, or passions and thank God for them. They are all a gift and should be cherished beyond measure. All are reasons to celebrate. And tonight, while she lays across my feet snoring and before I have to lug her to bed, I celebrate my sweet Belle and thank God for Love, in all forms. Even hairy drooly ones.
