Chester's Challenges

“What are we going to do today?” is my question of the morning.

Rachell surprises me. She picks me up and away we go. She heads to the back door and out onto a small porch. The storm door shuts behind us as we head toward the stepping stones that line a pathway surrounding the house. She stops at the stone’s edge and gently places me into some grass.

I relish the touch of grass beneath my paws wondering, “Wow. What are these soft bristles that tickle my feet?”

“Go ahead, Chester. Use the potty out here in the grass sweetie,” Rachell instructs.

Gaining my courage to move, I lift each foot to step farther into the yard.

“This is nice to walk about and look for a spot to go to the bathroom outside. This sure beat having a mess in my crate. That was my routine before coming to live with Rachell.“

“Is this what life is going to be for me?” I am excited at the thought of discovering new things. 

“Today, I dominate grass,“ I beam. “Tomorrow the world!”

Rachell carries me into her room and places me gently in my familiar place. She covers me in a pink and white towel after laying me on my little brown bed that is the only luggage I brought with me when I moved in today.

“Who is this critter silently stepping my way? He’s crouching as he inches closer to my bed with each step.” I watch cautiously as the gap closes between us.

“Don’t be afraid,” Rachell says. 

I stay still without trembling. The whiskered nose of this stranger nudges gently toward me. I am too tired to resist the advance, so I raise my nose to match. As our noses touch and Gibson breathes in my smell I understand, “I am safe.”

“I’m exhausted from my trip and all I want to do is lie down and rest,” is my thought. “This blanket- towel is keeping me, oh, so warm.”

I drift off to sleep knowing “I am HOME!”

I can hardly wait for Rachell to come home.

“I wonder where she has gone. She takes me with her everywhere she goes most of the time.”

I snuggle into the soft warmth of her comforter lying on top of her bed and pillows. I burrow down and nap while I wait listening for her footsteps coming up the stairs. My pointy ears perk up over the blanket’s edge waiting for her return.

I hear her familiar steps now heading up the hallway stairs. I lift my head and look toward the doorway as she rounds the corner. I want her to know how excited I am anticipating her return, so I jump up out of the covers and race to the edge of the bed. She gets right to the corner where I’m standing waiting for her to pick me up. She gently lifts me over her head and with a big cheshire smile says, “There you are. I love you so much, oh my Chessie Chess!”

I was in a place lower than Rachell when I arrived here. Every time she picks me up and hoists me high into the air, she reminds me of the climb to happiness we are making.

These precious moments overtake the way things were before I came to live here in my forever home every time she does it. I wag my little tail and wiggle in her hands to let her know how thrilled I am to be here. And I want to make her so very happy too.

I hope she knows I’m thinking, “Just keep climbing and we’ll reach the stars together!”

I always want Rachell to be happy. How will she know? I tightrope along her side and on her chest and look down at her lovingly with bouncing, smiling eyes to check and see what I can do to make her happy.

Invariably I squiggle on her. Let me try to describe what squiggling is.  I straddle along her middle with my front legs off her stomach and my back legs crossed hanging down her back. And then I begin to wiggle. And wiggle. And then wiggle some more!

My fluffy head turns back so I can look straight at her. I am checking to see if she’s smiling at me. She is always smiling at this one thing that I know I can perform for her. This is my special little trick.

Rachell’s joy and happiness levels skyrocket when I just arbitrarily dance up her body to make her smile. She beams from ear to ear just thinking about how hard I am working to make her happy!

Big giant smiles abound.