One of the things I am grateful for in my life is our dog Kona. She is an 11 year old German Shepard. When I married the hubster, I married into a family that included a stepson, two cats and Kona.
She helps me get my Mondays off to a good start by insisting that I take her for a walk to the impromptu “dog party” held at a nearby park. There is no official dog park in the area, so we make do with about five to seven neighborhood dogs. If she didn’t insist that I get my lazy ass out of bed at 6:30 every morning, I would not be nearly as productive as I am.
The story of how Hubster and David, my step-son chose Kona is very sweet. Hubster’s first wife, and David’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when David was only 6 years old. During the next five years as she struggled with the disease, David kept asking “when can we get a dog.” You can imagine with everything else he already had to deal with — a demanding job, a sick wife, a house, etc. — It was not the right time to get a dog.
After David’s mother died, Hubster told David that now, we can get a dog, and he turned it into their special project. They researched what kind of dog to get, talked to a friend who had German Shepards and decided to look at breeders on the Big Island of Hawaii. The two big towns on the Big Island are named “Hilo” and “Kona.” Apparently David decided that they would name the dog “Kona” no matter which town the dog came from.
They went to one breeder, and there was a litter of puppies, Hubster and David hung back, and decided to let the puppy pick them. And sure enough, little Kona was the friendliest of all the pups and walked over and claimed her family. Now David had someone to love, someone to care for and cuddle with as he dealt with the loss of his mother.
When I came on the scene, and moved into the house, and met miss Kona, I found out that between Hubster’s work and David’s school schedule, no one really had the time to walk Kona on a regular basis. I decided that we both needed the exercise, and I took it upon myself to being what turned out to be a bit of a struggle, as Kona, in her excitement would inevitably take me for a “pull.”
After many experiments with collars, leashes, gentle leaders, etc. Kona finally agreed to let me be in charge for a little while, until we got to the beach, and then she’d be allowed to roam off leash and enjoy the sun and the sand.
As I mentioned she’s almost 11, and with a bad hip and knee surgery, she’s not up for the beach the way she used to be. But she’s still full of enthusiasm and walks with me in the morning. At home, she is by my side in the office as I’m typing this. I have never had a finer friend.
I mention that she is the “wolf I run with” is a reference to what I consider a classic book, Clarissa Pinkola Estes seminal work, “Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype.” First published in 1992, it was a massive hit, and spent two years on the New York Times hardcover best-seller list. At the time the Washington Post described it as “a deeply spiritual book…she honors what is tough, smart and untamed in women. I turn to this book time and again for inspiration and wanted to tell many of my younger female friends about it.
So, who is the wolf you run with? I’m sure many of you know what it is like to have a furry friend, or family member, what is it that you love about them? How do they make your life deeper, richer, and purposeful? I love to hear from you, I hope Kona’s story inspires you to go and give your furry friend a big hug, and have a wonderful day.
RAchel I love this book. It’s been a god-send over and over again. Thanks for reminding me to pull it out. I run with my two pooches, who are nowhere near wolves LOL but they are the light of my life.
Jake and Lucy keep me entertained and my life full.
Hi Louise, it is such an amazing book, and it is easy to forget the power of her message when we get caught up in all the mundane stuff. What’s your favorite story? Mine is “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.”
That is an awesome story! David so needed a dog and it sounds like he got the perfect one.
I have my Sherlock. Don’t let the name fool you. He can’t find his way out of a very short tunnel, but he’s the sweetest big dumb yellow lab. He’s afraid of his shadow but makes friends with everyone. He always knows when someone in the house is not feeling well because he’s just there, but non-pesky. As opposed to being a pest all the time when you’re feeling up to par.
Love the story, Rachel. Thanks for sharing.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
Thanks for stopping by Patricia! Kona is not very outgoing, she is kinda shy, but once you get to know her, she’s just adorable. I’m glad you have Sherlock in your life.
Caught – I admit I haven’t read the book but I will.
The wolf I run with is an Irish Terrier by the name of Rourke – P.J. O’Rourke although unlike the author of a similar name, the p and j are just that – initials. He also gets me up and moving every day taking me for a walk that has, more often than not, had some interesting, what I call Rourke induced turns.
Hi Ryshia, Thanks so much for stopping by and telling me about P.J. O’Rourke — the dog version. It makes a huge difference for me, at least, to have a furry critter to take care of, and be accountable too. I’m naturally very lazy, and would much prefer lounging in bed, but Miss Kona takes care of that. Do look up the book, it is filled with amazing stories and insights.