I don’t have any pull when it comes to the Time Person of the Year, but if I did, I’d nominate our pets.
Yes I know, I can name lots of people who are equally deserving (if I were to name a human, it would definitely be our medical workers). Yet as I sit here in my house (I work from home most of the time these days), I look over at my dog Pip and think how she has saved me from cracking up. She definitely deserves MVP — Most Valuable Pet or at least an extra chewy ring. Since April, she has been the one I’ve talked to the most — and she has done a good job of listening. She has hung out with me when I have been recovering from medical procedures and has sat next to me when I draw. We take walks when I need a break and she is always thankful to get a treat when offered. Today, I did my radio show from our fairly soundproof master closet. Right after the first segment, she scratched on the door, I let her in and she promptly demanded I pay attention to her during a break. I bent over and started petting her soft, brown fur. Scratching behind her ears seems to help both of us stay calm. For an hour, she helped cohost my radio show — and did a really good job.
Pip is eight and I’ve gotten to know her better this year than ever before. I like her and I think she has learned to like me a little bit more than she did before (she has always been Amy’s dog). As I look at her sitting on the back of the couch and peering our of the window at the world, I am grateful for her quirky personality and her constant ear. She has kept the walls from closing in on me this pandemic. And for that, I am grateful for my little brown dog.