Dodo is a part of our family. That is without doubt.
Why do some people snigger or laugh it off when we tell them that? Why do they find it so inconceivable that our 4-legged friends can also become family? Is it because they have never loved a dog and been loved by one?
What defines family? To me, a family member is someone so integral to our life and whom we trust whole-heartedly. Someone who will stand by us, rain or shine. Someone who will never abandon us, no matter what happens. Someone we can always rely upon for support unconditionally. Dodo is all of the above.
Dodo takes part in our family celebrations and we will always include her when taking pictures. She is there when we are having our birthday dinners. She is there when we are singing birthday songs and blowing the candles on the cakes. She can’t sing but she sure can yelp very loudly – maybe that is her way of singing. She too gets to celebrate her birthday with her own cake! Like all of us, she will have her birthday song too. She is one big lover of birthday cakes. As dogs can’t consume chocolates, we will always ensure that the birthday cakes we buy (regardless of for which member of the family) are not chocolate flavoured.
She sleeps in our beds whenever she wants, gets birthday presents, gets ang-pow from my parents during Chinese New Year. We have more pictures of her in our hard disk than of any other members of the family. We talk to her, kiss her good-night and say “Morning Dodo” when we wake up. Where possible, we will bring her for Macdonald’s on Sunday. When we go out, we choose to go places that we know Dodo can go and will enjoy.
Her urn now occupies a special spot on the bookshelf. Beside the urn, there are photos of her, her bowl, her water bottle and the food she likes. She is at home with us, always.
Who can say Dodo is not family?
Dodo’s jie-jie
Why do some people snigger or laugh it off when we tell them that? Why do they find it so inconceivable that our 4-legged friends can also become family? Is it because they have never loved a dog and been loved by one?
What defines family? To me, a family member is someone so integral to our life and whom we trust whole-heartedly. Someone who will stand by us, rain or shine. Someone who will never abandon us, no matter what happens. Someone we can always rely upon for support unconditionally. Dodo is all of the above.
Dodo takes part in our family celebrations and we will always include her when taking pictures. She is there when we are having our birthday dinners. She is there when we are singing birthday songs and blowing the candles on the cakes. She can’t sing but she sure can yelp very loudly – maybe that is her way of singing. She too gets to celebrate her birthday with her own cake! Like all of us, she will have her birthday song too. She is one big lover of birthday cakes. As dogs can’t consume chocolates, we will always ensure that the birthday cakes we buy (regardless of for which member of the family) are not chocolate flavoured.
She sleeps in our beds whenever she wants, gets birthday presents, gets ang-pow from my parents during Chinese New Year. We have more pictures of her in our hard disk than of any other members of the family. We talk to her, kiss her good-night and say “Morning Dodo” when we wake up. Where possible, we will bring her for Macdonald’s on Sunday. When we go out, we choose to go places that we know Dodo can go and will enjoy.
Her urn now occupies a special spot on the bookshelf. Beside the urn, there are photos of her, her bowl, her water bottle and the food she likes. She is at home with us, always.
Who can say Dodo is not family?
Dodo’s jie-jie
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