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 An Ode to Nipper Nipper was Angie's 9th birthday gift. He was a squiggly, squirmy spaniel-earred 10 week old pup whose tail worked overtime. Nipper was his name for obvious puppy-toothed reasons, and I don't believe Angie ever received a present that brought her so much joy or so much grief. Nipper was nothing if he wasn't naughty. Or crazy. Nuts, even. Once while on the way to a vet visit he jumped out the window of a moving car - saved by being attached to his leash, which was attached to Angie's hand. He was forever getting into trouble and he almost never did what he was told. He appeared to be a Spaniel/Setter mix, and from what we heard (after we got him of course!) that made for a hyper dog. The vet's advice to have him neutered, which we followed, didn't help to calm him down. He had to be constantly watched when in the house - he'd grab shoes, toys or somebody's cookie. Outside he chewed up bottles of suntan lotion, snorkels, fins, stomped on tomato plants, stole your towels, and yanked your arm out of its socket when you walked him. He had to be muzzled when he had his toenails clipped and the March kite flying season sent him into a barking frenzy. Nipper was exasperating, and more then once had Angie in tears, lamenting the fact that she owned such a "dumb dog". But Nipper could be as delightful as he was infuriating. No matter how severe the scolding, he'd come back, eyes sparkling and lick your face to death. "You know how I am", his doggy smile would say, "Love me anyway, won't you?" He loved to play ball, would do anything for a Milk-Bone dog biscuit, adored my dad, and thought a stomach rub was the most delicious thing. We knew there was definitely something amiss when Nipper stopped eating - he who would steal your hamburger right from under your nose. We did what we could, but it was Angie's lesson to learn that when we risk loving we also risk being hurt. In the midst of her tears she said that it wasn't fair - Nipper was only 5 years old and too young to die. Angie also had to learn that in those 3 possible answers to prayer - yes, no and wait, sometimes the answer really is no. And the Lord doesn't always let us know the reason why, either. We must rest on the fact that HE knows. What we do know for sure is that Nipper was included in Cecil Frances Alexander's words "all things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all." ~~Barb Larson, September/Decemeber 1988  |
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