Tuesday September 02, 2008 
Tuesday September 02, 2008 Remember being a kid and worrying that your parents didn't love you as much as your siblings? My kids grew up convinced that I really loved the dog more than either of them. Or so they say now...
My response is that the dog never rolled her eyes at me, missed curfew, mouthed off or ignored homework. She always cleaned her plate, and always loved my cooking. Plus she adored me without qualification. I was her hero, her woman for all seasons.
Of course, I hastened to tell my offspring, she wasn't very neat, pulled on her leash, and didn't always have the control over her bodily functions that I might have preferred. And she hid food under the sofa cushions, items which were eventually discovered due to their permeating odor. So perfect she wasn't. But she was darn close.
I couldn't help but think about this last week, when our daughter and her husband were visiting us from Chile. It was lovely having them home - we don't see that much of them, and so we look forward to their visits. Part of the fun is that we get to see Carolyn's high school buddies, too. And it's great to see them all as the wonderful adults they've become. But the reality is that our daughter is her own self, and doesn't hide her reactions to the bumbling idiocy of her parents.
So what does this have to do with my dog? Maybe it was the little facial exchanges between our daughter and her friends and spouse that said silently but clearly, "I'm so sorry you have to put up with my parents. They can't help it - they're just dotty." I would look suspiciously at them, and then at our current dog, Boo Boo. Boo gazed at me with absolute adoration in her eyes - she didn't care if I was dotty or annoying. Our daughter? Grinned and ducked her head. And later would point out what stupid thing we said that triggered the shared eye roll. Boo? She snuggled close and rested her head on my knee.
Part of our daughter's reaction, I'm convinced, is infrequent exposure to us. Our son, on the other hand, as a Los Angeles denizen, sees us weekly, more or less, and has built up some immunity to our foibles. Or at least he is better at hiding his reactions.
We used to say, "Oh just wait until they have children of their own. Then they'll understand." But now I say, "Just wait until they have a dog of their own. Then they'll understand." Please....!
Posted by terrymckenzie ( Sep 02 2008, 02:52:21 PM PDT ) Permalink Comments [1]
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As one of Carolyn's high school buddies, I will tell you that your doggie doting is adorable. And the older we get, the more fun we can have teasing you for loving the dog so much. And I'm sure you don't love Boo Boo more than Carolyn or Andrew, but my parents definitely love Max more than they love me. If it eases your mind any, you're not alone, my parents have also replaced me with a drooly hound who they adore.
Posted by Coral Cozad on October 20, 2008 at 03:59 PM PDT #