Paris and Nicole – my Best Friends

Paris and Nicole are my best female friends. As a widower living alone (except for my housemaid), they keep me company. They never complain and they are always willing to sit by me in my moments of reflection, of my loneliness.

They are my pet Labradors.

Not that I am peculiar. Labradors are the perennial (12 straight years) favorite dog breed in most U.S. cities according to the American Kennel Club.

Before I rattle off why I love my two Labradors, I would like to say off-hand that Paris is a half breed while Nicole is pure chocolate. Of the two, Nicole is the more emphatic, more expressive and the more amiable.

They were both given to me by my doctor son-in-law. These, in turn, were given to him by another doctor who lives in a very plush subdivision in our place. That makes them of better breeding than I.

Why do I love my Labradors?

I love my Labradors, specifically Nicole, because, first, she snores. Yes! Have you ever seen a dog that snores? My Nicole does. And it tickles me pink to listen to her snoring.

They know my mood and I know theirs. They mill around my feet if they sense that I am ok. Paris would nudge at my hand to put it on her head – a thing she likes. Nicole would scratch my arm so I can put it around her shoulders – the thing she likes.

If their mood is off, no matter how much I call them, they wouldn’t budge. Paris would go outside to bask in the sun while Nicole would just look at me with her half-close eyes and a gentle wag on her tail. Otherwise, she will go on sleeping and snoring.

A blogger from Labradors Worlwide wrote that one of the reasons he loves his Labrador is because it doesn’t wag its tail. It wags it entire body.

When I get home from my regular afternoon coffee, or after a long absence from home.  Paris will stand on her hind legs and will be all over me with her yelps of excitement. Nicole, too big and too heavy to do that, will just wag her entire body and rub herself against my legs as she circles around me.

Seldom do we get that kind of welcome from the people we love.

Paris is not so expressive but my entire being is always gripped with extreme emotion each time I see the look in Nicole’s eyes when she wants to have my attention. It’s almost like begging.

We all who love our pet dogs have tons to say about the subjects of our affection. Even as a writer, I can never fully express my reasons why I am so attached to Paris and Nicole.

But I guess that is what love is all about. It is not about words but of feelings, of being connected without having to say anything.