Five Minute Friday: Wonder

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Wonder

When I was little, I read a book about animal intuition called “Animals who know when their owners are coming home” – or something like that.  It has always mesmerized me, stories about dogs and horses saving their owners’ lives out of intuition, sensing danger, domesticated animals sensing human emotion.  Amazing.

I experienced this firsthand when I was in labor.  I liked to think throughout my pregnancy that Luna and Apollo knew that I was with child, but when I was in labor, I knew for sure that they were in tune with what was going on as they didn’t leave my side.  When we left for the hospital at four in the morning, they surely knew something was happening, and when we got home from the hospital four days later, the dogs (super stoked to see us) looked at my belly, smelled my crotch, looked at the car seat, smelled the baby... then looked at us like “ok. This makes sense.” and proceeded with the regular greeting activities of bringing us toys and wagging their tails incessantly.

Ever since then, I have marveled at how they are around Penny.  These creatures, over 60 lbs each and always ready to romp and roughhouse, are slow and gentle, tender and delicate with her.   Just the other night Dan laid Penny across Apollo’s chest and he lay so still and allowed our four-month-old to tomahawk chop his face. 

What a wonderful phenomenon.  Dogs and babies.  Who knew.