My Sweepy!

He was born in the morning of March 18 to an 11-year old Pica and a 2-year-old Sumo. My sisters were out shopping that day and I could not join them (which was so unlike me!) and leave Pica who was about to give birth that day so I stayed home and witnessed Pica gave birth to five adorable puppies in a span of a few minutes. It was such a delicate and joyful moment that I cried! I texted my sisters and friends for a blow-by-blow account of Pica's delivery and because of that, I knew how fathers felt while awaiting and witnessing their baby being born. Ecstatic was a mild word. I was simply overwhelmed with pure joy!

Sweepy came from the 3rd batch of Pica and Sumo's litter. There was an unspoken rule in our house then not to have more than 2 dogs or to have pets we can not manage. We led busy lives and having too many dogs might deprive them of proper care so we opted for two. At the time of Sweepy's birth, that rule was broken because I insisted on keeping Bogart from the first batch. It was painful to give puppies away and although we gave the others away (in tears!) I decided to keep Sweepy. It was a difficult decision but one I will never regret. Of course, that meant foregoing long trips away from home, saying no to a lot of projects and grants, and fixing my schedules so as to have more time for my dogs.

That was 11 years ago. Now, Sumo is 11 and his pup Sweepy is 9. How time flies! And it seem like only yesterday when they were running around as a family, eating and sleeping together, had their major fights, had their individual houses, had their own stuff and stories (my dogs had blogs way ahead of me!), had their sad goodbyes (Pica was put to sleep in 2008 at 17 years old! and Bogart died just last year) and now I have two senior dogs who are as playful and active like puppies. They said dogs are always puppies at heart!

My friends always say that Lui prefers to have dogs than get married and have children. That is not true. I love dogs. I love children. Maybe that part of being married is true. I really do not want to be in a stifling relationship like marriage although I am not against having a relationship. I am proud to say that my relationships (with people and animals) are meaningful and lasting. I just do not plan things and I embrace what comes and be in that moment. I love it when the dogs came into my life. I love other people's dogs as well. I love other animals too. And there are those that are not easy to love like my male friends slimy pets like snakes, pythons (yes, some own one!) and alligators. But loving someone and something is like fate. It comes to you and you embrace it wholeheartedly.

But Sweepy is one of my favorites in my furry circles. And today, Sweepy turns 9. He is presently having an 'out-of-tune' fur state and restless energy, barking and hurling himself on walls and trees, running after stray cats and flies and bugs! Sweepy loves receiving mails (the Postman adores and knows them because of the volume of mails and packages delivered in our house!) and his emails are more interesting than mine. ;-) He has loads of friends yet he refuses to be with other people and animals in real time. Visitors scare him to bits! Ha!

So today, I canceled a trip to watch an exhibit (maybe I will check it out tomorrow) and my fave Verdi concert at the CCP tonight (I'll just check the audio tapes ;-) and canceled all schedules because today is Sweepy's day. I will give him a bath, a massage, his fave bacon treats, (plus all the treats sent his way, Thanks a lot people!) and have long hugs and pictures and maybe, who knows, I might even sing for him today!

On Sunday, I will feature his pawty pawtrait in his blog which is a collage of photographs of people and furries who will greet him today. If you want to be part of it, email us your pics and I'll include you. (sweepyheaven@yahoo.com) . . . Ooops, I gotta go and greet him again. Sweepy's day has already started!