“I don’t know,” she
said, suddenly. “I feel like we’re betraying her. Disrespecting her memory.”
Safe among her littermates, one collie puppy was twitching her eyelids and moving her legs in sleep. She was smaller than the others, with a beautiful blue merle mottle; different in a way and not quite as interested in normal puppy things. Something was missing in her life, but not in the dream; the same dream as always. Why are they crying? Why don’t they see me? Did all puppies dream the same thing?
That’s when the blue merle girl heard the voices. At first, she wasn’t sure if it was the dream taking a new turn, tricking her into believing what she hoped for had finally come to be. “I don’t know,” she heard a woman saying.
What! Lifting her head, seeing her littermates with their paws lined up along one side of the whelping box, the collie pup gathered her legs and jumped toward the gentle hands caressing her brothers and sisters. Was this possible?
WAIT!
She jumped so fast, her heart seemed to burst – why don’t these feet move quicker! They used to run across the field behind the house!They used to carry me on hikes in the woods! Hurry, feet – hurry!But, her once agile feet were clumsy now, tripping on themselves as puppies often do.
Wait for me! She pleaded with her deep chocolate eyes, hoped. LOOK at me!
And then she felt it . . . strong hands. Familiar hands flowing with life force and compassion, surrounding her, lifting her!
—
The ride home that night wasn’t quite as chilly as she remembered.
Would they know what she sensed – what filled her with excitement – or would it forever be her little collie mind secret? There would be plenty of time to discover that, she decided. Many years, if they were lucky. Then she felt it. The touch of the woman reaching for her and hugging her close.
“Hello, Honey,” the soft voice whispered … “We’ve missed you.”
Safe among her littermates, one collie puppy was twitching her eyelids and moving her legs in sleep. She was smaller than the others, with a beautiful blue merle mottle; different in a way and not quite as interested in normal puppy things. Something was missing in her life, but not in the dream; the same dream as always. Why are they crying? Why don’t they see me? Did all puppies dream the same thing?
That’s when the blue merle girl heard the voices. At first, she wasn’t sure if it was the dream taking a new turn, tricking her into believing what she hoped for had finally come to be. “I don’t know,” she heard a woman saying.
What! Lifting her head, seeing her littermates with their paws lined up along one side of the whelping box, the collie pup gathered her legs and jumped toward the gentle hands caressing her brothers and sisters. Was this possible?
WAIT!
She jumped so fast, her heart seemed to burst – why don’t these feet move quicker! They used to run across the field behind the house!They used to carry me on hikes in the woods! Hurry, feet – hurry!But, her once agile feet were clumsy now, tripping on themselves as puppies often do.
Wait for me! She pleaded with her deep chocolate eyes, hoped. LOOK at me!
And then she felt it . . . strong hands. Familiar hands flowing with life force and compassion, surrounding her, lifting her!
—
The ride home that night wasn’t quite as chilly as she remembered.
Would they know what she sensed – what filled her with excitement – or would it forever be her little collie mind secret? There would be plenty of time to discover that, she decided. Many years, if they were lucky. Then she felt it. The touch of the woman reaching for her and hugging her close.
“Hello, Honey,” the soft voice whispered … “We’ve missed you.”