This post is available as a podcast on Cinch.
My pup, Phineas, is finally back to his usual energetic, curious self. He has an allergy to the salt that’s heavily used on the pavements in New York City. The salt, or some chemical in it, gave him sores on his little legs, cut up the pads on his feet, and made him sick after he licked some of it from his paws. He was sluggish and didn’t eat much, all of the same signs Sebastian (the pup my sister owned) showed shortly before his passing. I rushed Phin to the ER on the morning on New Year’s Eve. As I was taking him downtown to the hospital, I sat on the subway train, head down on his carrier, tearing up. I knew I loved him, but I didn’t realize how much He’s come to mean to me in 4 short months until I started to worry that I might lose him.
After allowing the salt to pass through his system, learning how to carefully clean his paws, getting him a warm wool sweater, and discovering the miracle balm Musher’s Secret (great protection for dogs who won’t wear booties), Phineas is out in the world frolicking with the best of them. [I must insert an endorsement here for the PetHealthStore, a local shop in my neighborhood where I got the sweater and learned about Musher’s.] He likes the snow well enough, though I can tell that the novelty of it has worn off. He wants the spring – the grass, the leaves, and the warmth. Last weekend we hopped around Central Park, clamoring over snow banks many times taller than Phin, to get to the few grassy areas that the melted snow had exposed. Phin rolled around in them, thinking warm Spring thoughts. He saw some fall leaves around a tree trunk and he got so excited to run through them that you’d thought he’d just seen a long lost friend.
We sat on a rock for a few minutes and basked in the warmth of the afternoon winter sun on our faces. Spring is a long way off, but Phin and I are already dreaming of daffodils and butterflies and the re-birth of a bright, green world. For now, we’ll take whatever bit of grass and dried leaves we can get. Spring is where you find it.
The image above reminds me that resilience can be attained in any environment. The image can be found here.
This blog is part of the 2011 WordPress Post Every Day Challenge.
Christa Avampato 
