After Mamma and Daddy got married, we adopted a dog. Daddy tried to object.
He didn’t want a dog. He certainly didn’t want a dog in the house, on the furniture.
He was a Drill Instructor at Ft Sill, OK, and marrying into the position of “Daddy” seemed to be as much chaos that he anticipated, and bringing a dog into that world was something he had not expected. They hadn’t been married very long, maybe four months, and I don’t think Mamma ever had to use “THE LOOK” on Daddy at that point. The discussion about getting a dog went something like this:
Mamma: I want to get a dog. I am going to the shelter this week and adopting a dog.
Daddy: I don’t want a dog.
Mamma: *the look* OK.
Daddy: We can’t get a dog.
Mamma: OK.
Daddy: We can look at dogs, but don’t get your hopes up.
Mamma: OK.
Daddy: We can get a dog, but it is living out in the yard.
Mamma: Um-hum.
Daddy: It can come into the garage at night, but not in the house.
Mamma: Um-hum.
Daddy: It can come into the house at night, but maybe only in the kitchen or in the house at night but not on the furniture.
Mamma: Hmm
Daddy: It can stay in the house, but not on the furniture.
Mamma: *slow blink*
Daddy: It can get on all of the furniture, but NOT THE BED!!!
Mamma: *slow blink*
pause
Daddy: Alright, already, we’ll get a damned dog! I’ll be in the truck!
If there is one thing, you need to know about my Daddy; he discovered that he loved animals. Over the years, Daddy endured all of the strays that came and went. He would get up early and take care of all of them. When Mamma and her friends rescued over 60 Quarterhorses, he didn’t say a word just started helping out.
I saw Daddy cry because his hamster “FRED” died. When he saw a mouse dart into the grill of his truck in freezing weather, he stayed outside of his vehicle, checking to make sure that a mouse was safe before he would start the engine up.
He ended up being the keeper of the names. He had a legal pad that was full of names for future pets. The deal early on was: any animal in need could come home, but HE got to name them. Fair enough.
I am ever so grateful that Daddy loved us enough to let us be ourselves without judgement and without anger. He used to say that only 3 people mattered to him. His wife, his daughter and, his dogs.