I’m not supposed to enjoy these mandatory furloughs implemented by Freedom Communications, since I’m missing out on pay that I could really use. But on the upside, the furloughs haven’t been a completely bad deal. It’s an extra day I have to take off of work and stay away from anything work-related. No email, no taking calls and certainly no stopping by the office. I’ve spent my furloughs catching up on books, movies and errands. My past furlough day was spent at the vet’s office getting my dog caught up on his vaccines and overall health check.

While I was sitting in the waiting office I glanced up at a poster comparing dog years to human years. Max, my dog, is 36 in human years or just over 5-years-old.

I looked down at him barking and struggling to get out of my arms and I got suddenly emotional. My chest tightened and tears pooled in my eyes. Where did all the time go?

Sure he’s bad (I consider him a pint-sized Marley), but in my eyes he’s the world to me.

Through all of my ups and downs he’s been a constant in my life.

For an English class I took awhile back, we were asked to write memoirs. Some of the students wrote about hard issues such as deaths and alcoholism. I wrote about my dog. My instructor liked it though and asked me to read it aloud to the class. I cried. Not a graceful tear sliding down my cheek, but tears and snot streaming down my face. I love him that much and get that emotional about his presence in my life.

For a Valentine’s present that I never wanted, I’ll consider myself blessed to have Max for a season of my lifetime.

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