12/07/2024
This last weekend, myself and another fellow breeder/friend had moms whelping and pretty much the same time. As I sat in the box, petting my female Mamba’s soft black head, as she snuggles into my lap, so many feelings and thoughts came to mind like it does each whelping.
“Life isn’t measured by time,it’s measured by moments..
Some are big,but most are small…”
I like to think about life this way and savor even the smallest moments ..
Because that’s all there is…that and the people you share your moments with..
With each new litter comes new beginnings, excepted with grace , beloved memories and their beauty shines forever in the mind of the one who loved them first…. Their breeder. Puppies soar to our hearts without wings. Bringing with them puppy breath and baby coos. We hold them and give gentle kisses that will endure their whole lives. I love the sounds they make. I adore the unconditional love they have for their breeder as they get older. It’s a chapter in my life I treasure.
Birth is the smallest of things yet the most magnificent of all. It lights up your soul. It’s beginning of the journey, and we must move forward, fueled by confidence . Life unfolds as a mystery as we pray for smooth uncomplicated delivery…. and then, they are here… Beautiful angels sent down from the heavens above. We smile and relish the moments they enter our lives.
For me, being a breeder is seeing the perfection and beauty in the tiny baby we hold in the palm of our hands. Perfection is the squirming and squealing being we clench and press gently against our cheek and give sweet kisses to. Our voice is the first voice they hear, our voice no matter the situation will always be first in their lives. Perfection can also be seen in another breeder, a support system that we all need, and many dont like to admit it. Perfection is not a polished thing. It’s often something that’s sincere. Perfection is a whelping complete , a praise given, a prayer. It can be kindness, or thanks. Perfection is what we discover in each other, and what we see reflected by. Not every puppy is born perfect in the eyes of those who chose to judge us, but to me, each and everyone is perfection.
In breeding sometimes We do not get what we expect. We stumble on cracks, are faced with tragedy, bonds tested and tightened. Breeders need to be there for other breeders to lean on, seek advice or just be talked through things. Sharing our knowledge with others is what will help us survive. The wheels of fate and Mother Nature can be cruel and beautiful. Its beauty and its pain are in its silence. It’s heart breaking as we hold motionless babies on our hands trying to breathe and rub life into them. We cry tears of defeat knowing that no matter what , the loss of life is never easy, and you never get used to it. Death, is part of life, but it doesn’t mean it’s comes and leaves a cleaner wound. But the wheels of fate can be a blessing , I’ve met some wonderful people and breeders over the years. The world is full of love that goes unspoken. Sometimes the route to joy is indirect, our journey home not quite as we expected. There’s no magic star to guide our steps, no ancient prophecies to predict our way. The greatest gift is to know that we travel not alone but in the company of others breeders and owners.
Now and then in life, love catches you unawares, illuminating the dark corners of your mind, and filling them with radiance. Once in awhile you are faced with a beauty and a joy that takes your soul. I love being a breeder. The one thing we cannot do without , that can never be bought, no matter how generous the terms , and it is love. Love in all its forms. Precious, fragile, and enduring. The priceless gift that make our lives worth while. Invisibly upholding us , demanding no repayment. Offered in silence , more precious than gold, and that is what our dogs give us .
As puppies go on to new homes, new families, many of us get sad… well at least I do. It’s bitter sweet. I smile inside and out with delight when owners send me updates and photos so I can watch them grow. I wish they all stayed little longer, everything grows up so fast now a days it seems. Often I feel like we have to run to catch up. Even when the heart falls silent, we do not cease to be, because in the end, we all become memories. But we will always cherish and remember, that we loved them first.
