Unconditional Love

He loves sick days... cuddling and snoozing with a fevered, nauseous, coughing child is one of his favorite things.... He loves warm bodies, vomiting is part of his daily routine (right after he visits the neighboring horse pasture to grab something to eat), and the coughing just gives him the opportunity to reposition.  He excels where I am lacking, he is their best medicine.

He destructively emptied the chocolate from the bottom two rows of our family heirloom Christmas countdown calendar.... twice.  He threw up on the couch three times last week (and once on the kitchen floor).  He's constantly letting himself in and out of the house, leaving the doors open behind him.  And I'm too embarrassed to tell you what he does to the sweet neighborhood folks who walk past the house.

But I know he'll always enthusiastically want to be with me (and maybe even I him), even after I've scolded & shooed him out of the kitchen and bed, let his food bowl go empty & unnoticed for a couple of days, allowed Abe to use him as an impromptu vacuum (who picks him up by his back legs and pushes him around the house), watched as he tolerates the rambunctious attention from nine four year olds on a weekly basis, and laughed as he patiently endures being toted around by three affectionate boys.

No matter our temperament, our condition, or our past and current flaws, he loves us!  Dogs are the perfect example of unconditional love.