The Tale of Gather, My Daughter, and the Fur...

My oldest daughter is 13 years old. She keeps to herself mostly and prefers to observe the world. She loves to draw (and is quite talented), write stories, animals, and older folks. This holiday has been a tough one for her, as her dad and her stepmom are having a divorce. He wants to pry into her feeling and know what is going on in her head. But she....being like I once was....will tell her own story when the time is right for her.

She came to spend time with me for the holiday. I think she really enjoys time to think on her own and work things out.....for which I am incredibly proud. And she knows and has come to me with questions or her thoughts. Admist all the heavy, I desperately wanted a minute for us to share that had nothing to do with heartbreaks, divorce, worries, etc. Our visit was drawing to a close this morning as I drove her and her sister to the airport. She mentioned the pics she had drawn for me to use as icons and I told her how greatful I was to receive them from her. It was a segueway to my great Christmas wish.

During our conversation I took a "wrong" turn. Despair was creeping into my heart....we had all this time and no light hearted conversation. Then we passed an animal shelter and out of the blue I started thinking of Buddy.....Ron W's Dog...why I do not know. I said to my daughter.....my friend Ron has a Papillon as an icon! Her eyes lit up and she exclaimed "He DOES!" And I said yes and began to tell her the story of Oscar, Buddy and Ron. I could hardly breathe getting it all out. She was riveted. I was about to spout off all my knowledge of Papillons (knowledge a la Ron W) when she spoke up! And told me about her friend's grandmother and her papillion with the fragile bones. She advised me to advise Ron to mind Buddy's skeletal health. She told me Papillions were lovely dogs and that Ron made an Excellent choice of dog. I told her about the place here that dyes poodles pink and magenta. She got a screwy look on her face and I said....ohh but that is something Ron would never do....and I told her the story of Oscar, Ron, and the poodle salon.

She reminded me that she had a cat named Oscar.....so the conversation turned feline. So I went to the best felines I have the honor to "know": Daria P.olka-Dot Pants, Coppelia Q. Norton, and Little Liu Weasel Fiend. She thought that the names were very inventive and that Mr. David Rochester obviously must love his children very much. She asked me about my former kitty children....Blanca Nieves and the 7 Claws, Wrecks the Magnificent, and Fifi Le Beouf. Primarily about Blanca Nieves.....a story I can tell you all at another time. (the fates of Wrecks and Fifi Le B?......let's just say it is not natural for a mom to survive her furry children....well I suppose it is natural....just not fair.)

Now my only regret is not showing her the lovely pictures of all the lovely furbabies and not thinking of this sooner.

We talked about Ron's Oscar and Buddy, David's Daria PDP, Coppelia QN and LL Weasel Fiend all the way to the ticket counter. In our last moments....we had our beautiful mama/daughter moment. So thank you Gather.....and most of all thank you Ron and David!

Part I of Ron W's Canine Perils

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976856357

One of Many David's Divinely Feline Inspired Musings

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976840567