Bosco

He's my child, my lover and my best friend.

He's the small bundle of joy that came along less than a month after my grandfather passed away. He brought our family together..he's the adhesive that, at times, helps us stay together too. I remember the day when we went to actually just look at these lovely brown pups that were born a month ago. Bosco was the meek, shy, sleepy pup who didn't yelp when I picked him up and set him in my lap. You know what? He slept there and he looked so peaceful. I knew we were taking this baby home.

Bosco was brought up by me, trained by me (and I suck at that!) because for his first 2 years I was at home. He knows me so well that when I call him one of the weird names I come up with, he comes running coz he knows I'm calling for him! So far I've called him bujjikanallu (this is his other name now, anyway), bujjilu, boscolu, boscoji, tobosco, jhingchakka, tring-ling. He knows me so well, loves me so dearly and he is what my father calls my 'Hutch network'. He's everywhere I go!

When Bosco gets angry, even when it's with me, he bites my father!! My father finds it amusing that Bosco won't let anyone yell at me. He gets so upset! He's the barometer for how things are within our family. When we fight, Bosco gets sad and sits in a corner. When we are crying, he comes licks our faces. When we are tired and sleeping on the floor, he comes and sleeps in the crook of our arm. Bosco is love personified, devotion taken a step further and a constant we all should have in our lives.

The day I was packing my suitcase to leave, Bosco was sitting in my mother's lap licking her and persuading her to stop. He came and sat in my lap and looked so sad. I've never seen that kind of heart-rending sadness before. I suppose, only animals are capable of exhibiting their emotions in the most pure way. We humans are so caught up in perceptions and other cagey ideas. I visited home in December, Bosco didn't let me move for 15 minutes. In fact, I had to sleep on the ground so that he can lick me, nip me and bark at me until he was satisfied. My father was laughing so hard when he saw that. My father and Bosco are an unusual pair. Bosco taught Daddy how to express his emotions, he is dad's weakness! He's mom's release for her unending love, someone she turns to when no one is at home..he's helped her be braver.

Bosco has a meaning for all of us. He's taught all three of us how to love. He's shown us how important life is. He's the cheerful, kind dog that I've always wanted. And yes - he is my child, my lover and my best friend for always.