The Anxiety of Loving Your Soul Dog

I've written about Elliot before. He's my soul dog. For those of you who need the definition, here's the best one I found:

"A soul dog refers to a dog with whom a person shares an emotionally deep connection, often described as a once in a lifetime bond. This relationship is characterized by a mutual understanding and profound impact on each other's lives."

Indeed!!! There are so many beautiful gifts this kind of relationship has to offer to the human and, of course, the dog. 

However, there are, of course, concerns. Deep concerns. For example: I'm retired, which means I'm retired and home 24/7. That's by choice, because I've learned that being a dog parent should be taken seriously.  Believe me, I take it seriously.

Which leads me to my dilemma.  My amazing twenty year old grandson dropped out of college to pursue his music career. (I'm so proud of him. It's a gutsy thing to do.) He became the lead singer and bass player of a band in Flagstaff, AZ. They have quickly become a local favorite and is now being paid for gigs. Recently, they landed a pretty big job as one of the bands playing at a huge venue, the Pepsi Arena in Flagstaff.  The whole family is going. 

Pets are not allowed at the arena and now we are looking for a trusted pet sitter. There's also Enzo to consider. But I believe Enzo will be fine. He'll warm up to a sitter, especially if she feeds him on time. Elliot will probably do the same; especially if lots of treats are involved.  

Yesterday my husband booked a hotel room for us and my anxiety level hit the roof. As the date is quickly approaching, the trepidation I feel is manifesting itself in thoughts of dread and "what if"s. "What if Enzo bites, or Elliot doesn't get his sun screen on his nose. What if they bark constantly ????" 

You get the picture. Yet, even writing this down helps ease the scenario  from certain trauma for all involved, to seeing the anxiety monster shrink and admit defeat.

Still...

So there ya have it. My grandson has such an amazing talent and anxiety about Elliot and Enzo aside, I'm beyond excited to hear him and watch him play. I hope I live to see his clear talent provide a living for him; a good living. And I hope that when I'm gone, he'll know that his Poppy was there, rooting for him the whole way up!