A Change In Mind

It must be that time of year again, the nostalgic looking back and remembering. I opened up a file of my daily writing from 2003 and found this. In moments I was transported back to the sight, sound and soft, gentle touch of our wonderful dog, Buster. I have been owned by many dogs over the years and they were each special in their own way, but Buster had a way of capturing the hearts of everyone he met.

So let me introduce him. He lives on for us in some of the happiest memories of our lives.

Buster was soft gold manifested in physical form, a glowing warm incarnation of love and gentle grace. He was and for all eternity remains our dog.
He was quite extraordinarily beautiful. His gleaming red gold coat was fringed with long feathery white hair. His nose was like black leather. His eyes were the mirrors of his magnificent soul, full of love and quiet acceptance for all the universe. People stopped to admire him, to embrace him, to ask what kind of dog he was. He accepted it all with regal dignity.
He had the grace and elegance of the Irish Setter with the deep calm steadiness of the Labrador. Both parents were Show Champions from long lines of Show Champions and had they been the same breed, Buster would have been beyond our reach financially. Buster was an aristocrat, born on the wrong side of the pedigree blanket. Thanks to his Irish Setter mother’s indiscretion with the Golden Labrador next door, he came into our lives for the sum of £40, the best bargain we will ever have.
We had been discussing a new dog for months but I loved the looks and the temperament of the Irish Setter while my husband favoured the Labrador. When we saw the small ad, we took it as a sign that this was destined to be, a unique blending of both breeds specially for us. Then I saw the beauty of the puppies and I thought it would be impossible to chose. I should have known that such a coincidence meant that Fate was playing its hand and when one tiny dog snuggled into my neck and sighed ecstatically, we knew that he had found heaven and home all at once. He made it quite clear that we belonged to him and the only question was “what had taken us so long to find him?”.