Ralph

Old Yeller was one of only a handful of movies I saw with my parents. That was sixty-some years ago, but ever since then, there has been a special place in my heart for golden retrievers. So when I learned that Bootsie had developed an interest in dogs, it seemed only natural that I should get her a golden retriever for her tenth birthday last Oct. 4.

"Ralph," as she named him, is absolutely the most realistic stuffed dog I have ever seen. So much so that it gave both her and me a start when we opened the shipping box to see him lying there so quiet and still.

When Christmas came along several months later, I was able to add to Bootsie's "doggie" collection with a Hobby Lobby poodle painting for her newly remodeled room and a shiny beagle pendant to wear around her neck. Although she shows an interest in animals in general, she has a special affinity for dogs right now. 

It is not hard to take a fantasy peek into the future and see Bootsie as a veterinarian. I can imagine her dressed in her crisp white jacket and standing beside an exam table where some future dog looks to her for an inoculation, a check-up, or maybe some heartworm medication. She speaks soothingly as she rubs his scruffy ears. The dog trusts her at once because she speaks his language.

As with so many things last year, our travels to celebrate Bootsie's birthday were pushed to a couple weeks after the fact due to delays imposed by the coronavirus. But when we finally made it to the party, Ralph came along with us to make the occasion extra special.

Another event I missed was the opportunity to see Bootsie as a young Cratchit daughter in her school's presentation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. So maybe if vet school doesn't work out, she can pursue Plan B as an actress. 

Whatever the case, she is bright and talented enough to go after whatever she wants in this world. Though I can't be certain at this point what that will be, I do know that this world will be a better place because she is in it.