Velcro Pup

January 17, 2015 · by · in Uncategorized

stupid can be in loveWhat was that kid’s book about? “The Velveteen Rabbit”? I don’t think I read it, but the name stands out in my mind as I think of the “Velcro Pup”.

Lucy didn’t understand love. Does anyone understand emotions like love and attachment? Isn’t Velcro a material used for attachment of things?

What is a Velcro Pup? It’s embodied in Lily Anne.

Have you noticed how some dogs can occupy themselves? Like babies who spend time alone in their crib or play area and just gaze about, play with a toy or otherwise self soothe? They are the “easy” babies/ children/ adults.  They are the compliant child, the Type B personality, and the people who go through life managing themselves and their circumstances without much fanfare.

Maybe, the Velcro Pup is like the strong willed child, the Type A personality, the high maintenance ones who must have constant attention? Or be right in the midst of it all?

Lily waitingWhat is the connection between Velcro material and Lily, the King Charles Spaniel? The moment you enter the house, she is right by your side. She follows you everywhere. She watches you and the moment you sit down, she is right there snugged up to the closest spot available. If you happen to be sitting at the computer or bathing in the shower, she will position herself as close as possible. She gets on the bed or sits on the bath mat, until you make a move. Then, she’s right down behind you.

Now that I think of it, maybe, she is just a typical toddler. No, not really, because we all know that anytime we leave them to play, we get suspicious when things get too quiet. Some adults are like Lily, but we call them codependent. One of my friends called her “neurotic” and said she needed some Prozac. What if she needs to be close to someone else to be content? If she is not stuck to me like Velcro, she is attached to her sister, Amelia- the Blenheim KC Cavalier spaniel or any visitors who make room for her. She wiggles her way into small spaces, lodges into corners and I wonder if she can even breathe- but then, she heaves that little sigh. It’s a sigh of sheer contentment. She does it every time she settles in to the place closest to you and then relaxes. That sigh signals no movement from that moment until you move again. You almost hate to disturb her!!! 🙂Lily waiting 2

Do we have to understand Velcro to recognize it and how powerful the hold is?

Maybe, I should check out that “Velveteen Rabbit” story. What is real?

velveteen rabbit“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”
“Does it hurt?” asked the Velveteen Rabbit .“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”
“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand. But once you are Real you can’t become unreal again. It lasts for always.”  ( Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit)
He was owned by a boy who loved him more and more each day… Well, there we are!
Lily is the Velcro Pup who is owned by a lady who loves her more and more each day!
I am lucky to have a pup that is a real, living, breathing, and unconditionally accepting part of my world. Stick a little closer, Lil! Come along, we will draw comfort from each other, little pal. My Velcro Pup- Lily. Of course, there is no need to ask. We always make a spot on the other side for Amelia- she just doesn’t stick as close or demand as much. She is the “nurse dog”, while sissy is the “velcro pup”.
Lily look of loveBoth are “love dogs”, in different ways. And, we know how “real” Little Bo Bo is- he’s a stuffed dog that has given much love and friendship to our family. Once he was lost in Walmart, and again in a grocery store- but with every adventure, he came home safely. In the last 10 years, his child has stuck to him like Velcro. He has gone everywhere and made it through 100 washings. All of these are a testament to the bond between the ones who love and the object of our affections. It is reciprocal. Can you see that “look of love”?