Trixie inspired me to look at things from a new perspective, made the familiar fresh again, somehow shared with me her recognition of great beauty in mundane scenes, and reawakened in me an awareness of the mystery that is woven into the warp and weft of everything we perceive with our five senses but can know only with our hearts. This may be the primary purpose of dogs: to restore our sense of wonder and to help us maintain it, to make us consider that we should trust our intuition as they trust theirs, and to help us realize that a thing known intuitively can be as real as anything known by material experience.
-Dean Koontz, A Big Little Life
I’ve always been convinced this is the primary purpose of dogs. After all, these are exactly the things that Enzi has inspired and reawakened in me. I’ll always credit the Diva for bringing me back to life.♥
If you’re looking for a good read – simple (in a good sense), yet good – read A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog by Dean Koontz. What a lovely memoir of his beloved Trixie. ♥
September 21, 2010 at 6:43 am
I was just commenting to Miss Chef the other day about how dogs are always in a good mood–you could wake them out of a sound sleep at 3 am and they’d be not only willing, but excited to go do something with you. That’s what I call preternaturally well-adjusted. (Or is it crazy? Whichever, the dog’s happier than I am.)
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September 21, 2010 at 6:57 am
I’m reading in past tense, and scared that Enzi has died???
Please tell me I’m wrong!
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September 21, 2010 at 7:00 am
CeeCee,
Oh, no… Enzi is alive and well and 110% Diva. 😀
Sorry… the thought that the post could be interpreted in the way you read it did briefly cross my mind last evening, and I set the thought aside. I just made a minor modification to the post, which should bring it to the present tense. 🙂
Resume normal heartbeat… ♥
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September 21, 2010 at 7:25 am
Oh, thank goodness!! Cuz dogs are some of my favorite people. Especially dogs like Enzi–the ones that are there through our trials in life.
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September 21, 2010 at 7:25 am
I wish we humans could look at life in the way a dog does…they are so full of joy!
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September 21, 2010 at 8:12 am
You captured that perfectly! My little Bossman has taught me soooo much about unconditional love in the 11 years we’ve had him. He’s getting old now and will, for the first time, let me leave the room without following me. If I’m gone more than a minute or two he’ll come looking for me. It breaks my heart when I run up the stairs to throw something in the wash and turn around and he’s at the bottom with his sweet little face on the bottom step. It used to always be a race to see who could get to the top first. Now he just waits to make sure I don’t get out of line of vision…..if I do, he’ll struggle up the stairs. Oh Lord – I didn’t mean to turn this into a sounding board, but it breaks my heart to see his health going downhill.
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September 21, 2010 at 8:54 am
Enzi is such a cutie. I really enjoyed my brief encounter with her. You know, I believe that’s true of dogs too. I think animals teach us to live with our hearts open and more trusting too.
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September 21, 2010 at 9:08 am
I read Koontz’ ode to Trixie when it first came out – beautiful! Before she died, I subscribed to his web newsletter which was partly written by Trixie – delightful!
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September 21, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Nothing makes me happier than how joyful my rotten little dog is to see me. In the morning, you’d think we’d been apart for weeks instead of hours.
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September 21, 2010 at 5:38 pm
I will never be as good a soul as my dogs. But they keep setting a good example anyway.
But, to my credit, I don’t eat from the litter box.
So there’s that.
Can’t imagine life without these amazing beings – what a lovely quote. Hugs to Enzie!
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