August 2nd, 2007
Former friend swaps sides
The Rest Of Us
Former friend swaps sides
By JACQUELYN MITCHARD
Sunday, March 3, 2002
You know what is a thing you can’t do forever? Having babies. Families of 14 notwithstanding.
With six children, even though some were adopted, we have replicated ourselves on the planet. We thought to squeeze in one last odd infant but that’s an off chance.
How life serves you your own words and invites you to eat them with a fork and a spoon.
I should be addressing this as an open letter to my friend, Patti, whom I once accused of “mothering” her dog.
Patti, much younger, doesn’t have children yet, and has told me she wouldn’t care if her Lucy ate up every piece of furniture in Patti’s apartment. Vociferous was I in my ribbery, not being an “animal” person. And certainly not a “dog” person. And certainly not a slobbery dog person.
Then came Hobbes, the mutt, birthday present to our 12-year-old. Hobbes immediately fastened upon me as the alpha wolf, followed me everywhere, slept on the foot of our bed. I never opened a closed door beyond which Hobbes did not wait. He was, though the perfect dog, also allowed to do all the things I swore to heaven no dog would ever do in my house.