I'm a dog mom who, every once in awhile, gets a solid dose of bittersweet reality when it dawns on me- we only have so many holidays with our dogs. Honestly, the thought originally came from the realization that my boys only get to experience so many Halloweens as kids. Thankfully, I have three boys who choose to be kids for as long as they can and they will likely have enjoyed the fun of dressing up in costumes and trick-or-treating with friends until they leave for college.
I'm not a dog mom who dresses my dogs up in costumes for Halloween. Believe me, I've tried! But Maizy goes into zombie mode anytime an article of clothing intended for her even comes in to view. And Muddy, well, he is the dog who wears a bandana that says "I ate my Halloween costume" and then proceeds to eat the bandana just to prove the cut out teeth marks to accompany the words weren't authentic enough. I have learned that getting all dressed up isn't my dogs' thing. But, it isn't lost on me that, just like with my kids, my dogs' Halloweens are few. And their Christmases with us, if we're lucky, will be only be 14 or 15.
Our dogs should be on that holiday card. They should be a part of the photo shoot. Heck, they should have their very own dog photo shoot. Because one day, they won't be there to eagerly rip the paper off their holiday gifts. They won't be there to excitedly circle the Christmas tree as you clip the string that lets the boughs fall into place. They won't be there to swipe their tails against the ornaments that fly from the branches to hit the floor (while we hold our breath waiting to see if it shatters). If I'm being honest, I'm not a fan of these bittersweet moments of reality. They hurt. I want my dogs to grow old with me. I want to feel their fur on my cheek for my whole life. I want to watch their antics of chasing toys and each other for my whole life. I want to hear their barks, their paws padding across the wood floors, pick their fur off my cloths before leaving the house for my whole life. Because I know memories are what I'll get to hold on to for my whole life, I take the pictures. I bring Maizy and Muddy up to my studio from time to time for their very own dog portrait session. I do it because I want photos of my pups to have my whole life.
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