Saturday, June 4, 2016

hi there, I'm birdie...

Better known as the grey tornado…  I prefer to spin in circles, whether it be my body or even my tail, well I'm really just winding up!  I also enjoy the occasional somersault.  It really is a well practiced technique.  It helps when I am trying to be elusive, you see.  I am a total people pleaser and overall curious girl.  I learn commands super fast, and wouldn't you know, I don't even mind going to the doggie doctor!  Especially if there is a cookie involved (and hey, I can't help it if the drool gets the best of me… those treats need to get in my belly faster, okay?).  I've come a long way in kennel training… as a matter of fact I'm pretty sure the kennel is actually called "cheerios."  What a funny name for a wire box full of blankets and beds and cuddly, snuggle babies!  Did I mention I LOVE FOOD!?  It's a really good thing they make these interesting looking puzzle bowls to help me slow down at meal times, that way I can actually taste what I'm eating.  Even my weim foster sister wanted one, because they are just so fun to eat out of, it's like a game!  Penny's also been busy showing me the ropes, and we are currently working on sharing toys and taking turns :)  Now sometimes my excitement gets the best of me… one day I accidentally knocked over Grandma.  Whoopsie.  It's a good thing she was wearing her parka and it has all that extra padding!  I mean, I was just so surprised and happy to see her standing there when I turned around- honest!  I promise I snuggled up to her later and told her I was sorry…  As a matter of fact, I'm really happiest once I calm down and can cuddle someone, using my body as a blanket.  I make an excellent space heater, and would prefer if some part of me could be in close proximity to you (and by that, I mean in your lap, that's not off limits, right?).  Otherwise, I can dig myself a tiny little spot and curl up under the blankets in my bed (but I may sneak in your bed after you fall asleep, because I know you get chilly at night sometimes).  Now- going for daily walks is super important so the boredom doesn't set back in.  On leash or off, I just love to explore, and it's even more exciting when I have a sibling to share the scents with!  And okay, I don't love the treadmill just yet, but it does help exercise my body and my mind on those super cold & icy days when it's too dangerous to wander the neighborhood or the dog park.  Also.  I'll admit, I didn't really enjoy swimming at first, but now you just try keeping me out of that water!!  Alright alright, I know, I may just be rambling at this point, but…

Hey Bird…  Yes, mama?  I'm really glad you're happy here, how would you like to be a part of our family?  Well I am, right?…  Welcome home, Birdie… welcome home.

(-Okay okay, so I may be a leeeeeeeetle behind the game on sharing this post, seeing as how we made Birdie's adoption official in December-  Wait. Is it June??…  But I still wanted to share her crazy fun, BIG personality with you all!-)

And oh how quickly the time goes by…  I still can't believe this grey girl has been a part of our family for over a year now!!  I have to admit that when we first brought her into our home as our second foster baby, I kinda wanted to bang my head against the wall.  Like a lot.  I've never met a living being that is so damn stubborn!!!  (Let's just agree she gives me a run for my money & I'm probably getting what I deserve.)  But man is she full of life and energy- and can she be oh so sweet when she's not greeting you with a face plant to your nose.  I worked so SO hard to mold her into what I thought she should be & how she should act…  But for the life of me, I just couldn't wrap my mind around how difficult my life had become when all I wanted was a playmate for Penny and to help re-home this new sweet (but crazy) girl into our lives.  And then just when I thought I'd reached my absolute boiling point, I happened along a television program one day and heard this:

My usual techniques with the dogs I looked after worked so perfectly, except with [Birdie.]
Because you make [Birdie] personal.
Well it IS personal.
Mmmmmm it is and it's not.  If you make it personal, then you make it about you.  That's when it's not good.  And that says that we need to work on something personal.
So [Birdie's] an example of me having the dog I need and not the dog I want… 
… God is good.

A few days passed and it was like a lightbulb had suddenly clicked on…  Then this happened.  If that wasn't enough of an ah hah moment for me, well here's another one.  I'm a sucker for whatever random chick flick happens to be on the screen at the moment, and it just so happens Hope Floats was the lucky winner this day.  Now let me start by saying that Birdie's previous owner made mention she was named after this movie…  So during this particular scene, the tears started flowing again- because of course I heard the words as if my Birdie was saying them directly to me:

...and l used to see myself in [your] eyes.
And it was like [you] saw me.
And l was audacious, Mama.  I was.
And then, l don't know, things just started to change.
The harder l tried to be what [you] wanted me to be...
...the less I saw myself in [your] eyes.
Just one day, I looked and I was gone.

It was heartbreaking.  That's when it really hit home.  Stop trying to change what's around you and instead focus on how you can make yourself a better person.  And it may take time, but the rest will fall into place, my friends.  And don't forget to listen, you just never know when a little birdie may be whispering in your ear…