As I’m writing this, Jack Sparrow is snoring his paws off after waking up and realising once again that a dog’s life is ‘too hard’ and thus he has gone straight back to bed. Not a virtue of The Boss but certainly one of the undisputed king of my heart – served, petted, adored, worshipped, cuddled, fretted upon and loved so incredibly much. There are very few Passion goers who do not know Jack and even fewer who are not enamoured by him.
His ‘Frenchie background’, that face, that look in his eyes, his permanently kind of sad face that wants you to do anything to make it look happier, his head tilted on one side like he is trying to hear what you are saying (but he will never be able to do that as my furball was born without the ability to hear), him positioning himself tight to you (or between your legs if you allow him too!), when you are eating your burger with look on his face saying ‘help, they never feed me’. The little bugger has been in the restaurant business for eight years and has perfected the art of begging for food!
It’s not that he is hungry. It’s more like he is bored of his prescribed hypoallergenic food as alas, his posh Frenchie skin is a bit sensitive and means he must be on a beauty diet. Mummy is the one who is most responsible for breaking this diet (just like her own!) by passing him crumbles of her croissants or buying him an ice cream cone while she munches on the stuff that goes on top of it. Hey, in Passion we always say life is too short for rice cakes, so we have to walk our four-legged talk now, don’t we!
I will never forget the moment I first laid my eyes on the 45-day old puppy Jack. Talking about love at first sight. As many dog owners think their dog is the best, prettiest, smartest and the most special, I naturally also think that about my Jack. You will always hear me saying ‘not because he is mine but because he is the most beautiful Frenchie I ever saw’ and by far the softest one! But this is also what everyone else who knows Jack says. And it’s not just his everlasting beauty that makes him so special, it is his good heart, his nature, his devotion, his friendliness and the endless love that he gives – not just to me but to so many strangers too.
He has this ability to make you fall in love with him before you can even say Sparrow. I have never ever seen Jack show his teeth or even the slightest amount of aggression. I have never seen him barking at anything unless he is upset with you because you didn’t come over and say hello to him – that is especially the case with people he knows. He gets really offended and is not going to hide it. You must go and say hello otherwise he will bark at you until you do. Bless. The coolest thing about Jack is that when other dogs bark at him or are not happy with his presence, unable to hear them, he just gives them a look and then lifts up his leg to mark something, giving his own unique point of view on that aggressive behaviour.
Writing a blog about Jack is super hard as there is an entire book that could be written about him! Yes, he is just a dog, but to me, he is more than I could have ever asked for. I have never loved anything or anyone with this intensity. It is a special kind of love (just in case my mother reads this!). To look at Jack and simply start crying (more like sobbing!) because I love him so much, to hug him so tight hoping that by some miracle he will stay with me forever, worshipping every minute I lay my eyes on him, burying my nose in his soft neck, and receiving his wiggly bottom of uncontrollable happiness because he saw me exiting the room and just ten minutes afterwards I’m back.
In the first year of Jack’s life, we shared it with his daddy and for the last seven years it has been just him and me. We are each other’s everything. I’m everything he has and he is the only 24-hour comfort, companion, friend, and therapy that I need. I have worked very hard for the things I do and have in my life, so luck does not have much to do with it, but if there is one thing I can say that I’m incredibly lucky and fortunate with, is that the Universe made Jack choose me to be his mummy. I couldn’t be more grateful. And I could not love him more than I already do. Hail to my furry King.
Peace, love and Jack.