#2: Mia (my dog)

Ok, I know what you’re thinking: “She picks a dog over the rest of her family.  She must be a crazy dog lady.”  Well I am here to tell you that I do not love my dog more than my parents or siblings.  I do not dress my dog in clothes and I will never book a photo shoot for my dog alone.  I am actually horrified when people take their dog to the pet store to take pictures with Santa.  Not that long ago, a single acquaintance of mine from high school posted pictures of a photoshoot on facebook.  All the photos were of her and her two dogs.  This actually creeps me out.  So let me explain it like this: Every day when I choose something to be thankful for, whatever I randomly choose is what I am going to focus on.  My parents may not come for twenty days or they may come tomorrow.  Today I choose Mia, my dog.  

Mia is a four year old German Shepherd and let me tell you, she is truly awesome.  My husband and I chose Mia when she was only six weeks old.  She was seriously the cutest thing I have ever seen (as far as puppies go) and seemed completely healthy.  But when Mia was three months old she almost died from parvo, an extremely deadly canine virus.  Less than 20% of dogs survive this virus.  Therefore, Mia is a fighter.  Coming out of parvo alive gave Mia a new lease on life and in return she chose to love people unconditionally.  

Let me further explain why Mia is a marvel.  Mia is a 90 pound german shepherd.  She could destroy any thing (including people) that stands in her way.  Mia will accidentally bump into me and I will bruise.  She could drag me across the yard on her leash without blinking an eye; she is that strong.  However, Mia is the most gentle and affectionate dog I have ever seen.  She has never shown signs of aggression and she is great with children. 

How does Mia relate to my infertility?  You see, I truly believe that dogs are angels.  They are one of the greatest gifts that God gave to mankind.  Like I said in my previous post,  Nick can get uncomfortable when I get emotional about infertility and he at times doesn’t feel up to talking about it.  Mia however, will always listen and never criticize.  There have been so many times that I would be crying and Mia would come up to me and lick the tears off of my face.  Sometimes she will be in another room and hear me sob.  She will come in and lay by my side of the bed.  Sometimes, she will even lay her head in my lap.  I’m not really sure if I could have gotten through these last few years without her.  She has eased some of the pain and made the void not so empty.  I completely understand the saying that dogs are man's best friend.

As a Catholic, I was taught to believe that animals do not have souls and therefore do not go to heaven.  This always bothered me because I thought of Mia and how she was more deserving of heaven than a lot of people.  A religion teacher I used to work with put me at ease.  He said, “When we pass, all aspects of our soul go to heaven if we are worthy.  Dogs do not have their own souls, but instead are an extension of their masters’ souls.  So when your time comes to pass, your dog will be with you in heaven.”  I wouldn’t have it any other way.

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."  ~Roger Caras