Read the news. Get overwhelmed, scared and depressed. Close app.

Switch to fluff from the library app. Distract, calm, retreat.

 

Quick check of Facebook. Get amused, laugh, overwhelmed by the plethora of remote teaching resources.

 

Switch to a row of knitting. Breath, knit, breath, purl.

 

Back and forth up and down, the new see-saw of living in a pandemic.

 

I never wanted a dog. I am not a dog person, but now the little white ball of fluff name Juniper follows me around on my see-saw of daily living. At night he lays on me like a weighted blanket, a firm but soothing weight. He is a good dog, loyal, loving and I am grateful for his presence.

 

It was my son and husband who wanted the dog. They are dog people, or at least they thought they were. After a year of asking, begging by my son, and occasionally my husband, I was beaten down and relented.

 

It was actually the summer I sent my son to the SPCA camp that did it. Huge mistake. I thought it would teach him a love of animals. It did. But it also taught him to be a activist. A young, oud, relentless activist. The first day, Monday, he came home and immediately went through the bathroom cabinets taking out all the products that were no longer allowed in our house, bad, evil products tested on animals. The next day, I was lectured on dog racing and its evils, although I have never been to or supported them. Each day it was a new shaming of how we lived and how we needed to change. By Friday, we were getting a dog.

 

The dog he fell in love with at the camp, Sid, just happened to be up for adoption. We went to the agency, inquired and were allowed to walk him, connect and see if it was a match. We connected. Sid was great. I was at peace. Then they told us he had cancer and we could fospice him if we wanted. Fospice! What is that? Foster him, take care of him till he dies. We declined.

 

Turns out to be harder to adopt a dog in San Francisco than you think. 3 false starts later we ended up with the ball of fluff at my feet as I type this page. His name is Juniper and he is helping immensely with the calm part of the seesaw of life these days.