My Dogs by Veronika Waltner

          When most people think about what's important to them, their family and friends usually come to mind first.  While something in that realm is what I think of first, it is amusing that it isn't technically my family that I think of first. You see, when I thought about this, the first thing to come to my mind is my dogs. While this might not seem too strange at first, at least to me, you must realize that I think about them over my parents and friends. I believe that part of the reason for this is that the importance of the others are obvious facts.  When I think about what's important, ideas that are cemented in my mind as fact do not come up. It's somewhat like when I'm trying to find new information and facts that are already clear in my head do not measure up to my standards.
         The other reason is most likely due to the fact that I see my dogs very, very frequently and spend much of my time taking care of them. I have to feed them everyday, play with them to let out their energy, and most time consuming of all, walk them. I think that the walking them is one of the most significant parts of this, my family doesn't have a fence and our neighbors' invisible fence conflicts with ours, so we have no choice but to do all the walking. Seemingly this is not much of a big deal but then you realize that we have two dogs, one of which is easy the other doesn't go unless the walk is long enough, and the fact that if you try to take them both they will go at different paces making the walk much longer than needed.  Because of all these factors, we walk them separately, one going the long side of two blocks and back, the other just walking in our yard. This normally is fine but its bitter cold in winter and neither of them want to go on the snow making the walks longer and more torturous.  Although this seems like a lot of work, the responsibility for their care is part of loving them, so I do, a lot.
         Overall though, I think of them as important is because I love them dearly and, as sad it is, dogs do not live as long as humans. This depressing fact is the main reason I can't take my dogs for granted.  I want to savor every moment I have with them so that when their time comes I don't regret wasting precious time. I have made this mistake with our previous dog Shylah, who passed away young and unexpectedly, I desperately don't want to make this mistake again. This also explains why I think of my dogs over my friends and parents, I trust them not to leave me.  I take for granted that they are there and its going to be a long while before anything happens to them.  It could be that loss intensifies appreciation, importance, and even love.