Books | Pack of Two

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball. Sometimes it pitches a 90-mph fastball straight at your face. (Or, blindsided on the highway by a drunk driver.) These moments are shockingly sudden, painful, and surreal. In these sharp angled moments, Chewie is the ideal security blanket. She is within arm’s reach, soft and warm, but never stifling. And just when things get cozy enough to really hibernate from the outside world, she paws me—for a treat, a walk, or simply, attention.

Caroline Knapp, author of Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs, wrote, “The dog’s agenda is simple, fathomable, overt: I want. “I want to go out, come in, eat something, lie here, play with that, kiss you. There are no ulterior motives with a dog, no mind games, no second-guessing, no complicated negotiations or bargains, and no guilt trips or grudges if a request is denied.”

It is this uncomplicated desire that I value most about having a dog. She reminds me that I am needed, that I must get out of bed, that life pushes forward, not inward. Her agenda is what propels me through the toughest, longest tunnels—and knowing I’ll get to the other side is the greatest comfort of all.