Back when I first found myself "suddenly single" my gorgeous dog Goddess developed this habit of building a nest beside my bed in the middle of the night. She would go through her doggie door into the back yard and bring in Palm frawns and sticks and pile them beside the bed. Then she would sleep lying beside it.
Of course I would get up in the middle of the night to pee and step on them, jump half-a-mile into the air and cuss her with everything in me. Goddess would lay there with her head on the floor and watch me without moving. Then I would carefully make my way around the nest when I returned to bed still muttering cusses.
So every morning I would tear the nest apart throwing the Palm frawns and sticks into the back yard and get on with my day. I would give it no thought until she did it again the next night.
Over time she changed this behavior. We grew comfortable living alone, just she and I, so that was the norm. After a while work and other obligations got in the way and I would have to leave her and travel to and fro on the face of the earth. Goddess would go nuts and act like a monkey-humper when I returned from these trips wanting me to rub her butt and give her all of my attention.
Then the first night I was back ... she would build the nest.
I would get up to pee, step in it, cuss her loudly, go back to bed and then throw it all away the next morning.
Then I learned that she is a building a nest to protect me from whatever it is she thinks is coming after me in the night. To save me from more hurt. To chase tears away. To make certain that I slept well. To show me that she loves me with everything inside of her.
It made me love her more which I didn't think was possible.
Then she stopped. I kept traveling, in fact I traveled far more and have crisscrossed the country several times in the last three months. She still greeted me acting like a money-humper but the nest building disappeared.
Yesterday morning I flew in from Philadelphia and everything about everything changed when I got home. First of all, the house was full with people waiting on me. Second, there was a large "Welcome Home" sign that was specially made for me hanging at the top of the stairs. Then there were these presents hanging on the Jesus magnate refrigerator. Finally, Goddess acted like a monkey-humper going wild after being gone all week.
Then we were off to Pirate Fest at the Breakfast Club before jumped on Jenny O's float for Fannies-On-the-Beach, throwing beads to the crowd and making our way back home to avoid the crowds and the craziness of Tybee Island.
Goddess lay there as the beloved Dawgs of Georgia claimed victory. It was the most wonderful of nights.
Until I got up to pee in the middle of the night.
I stepped on Palm frawns and sticks piled next to the bed. Jumping half-a-mile into the air I cussed her with everything inside of me. She opened her eyes and stared at me.
Then the entire universe came to a screeching halt. I knelt down in the dark and hugged my dog. She licked my cheek then followed me into the kitchen for a glass of water and stared with me at the things on the refrigerator. Walking out on the back deck I blew a kiss to God for the warmth of my house. Then I stumbled back to bed and wrapped myself in the love of the night.
Goddess resumed her place beside her nest ... offering protection from everything that is bad.
And welcoming everything that are blessings.
