Lessons from Diego

This morning, it suddenly hit me that this little guy who joined our household four years ago, has not only been a source of joy for our family. Apart from the many happy, goofy times he has brought us, he has also unwittingly taught us some very important life lessons.

"You will always be my no. 1 no matter what.” a.k.a. faithfulness and unconditional love. Whenever Jenny comes home – after a few hours at the supermarket, a day at the office, or a week or so from travel – everyone else becomes a far second. This is consistent and non-negotiable, whether she has pasalubong for him or not, whether she comes home happy after lunch with a long-lost friend, or irritated and angry at yet another driver that cut her off at EDSA.

Mornings on workdays, he watches like a kuya as Jenny picks up her bag, takes her cold water from the fridge, says goodbye, then goes out the back door. He then takes his place by the back door that is now closed, all ears for sounds that signal Jenny has opened the gate, opened the car door, is in the car, has closed the car door. Once he senses the car leaving the garage, he jumps onto “his” chair by the dining room window, maneuvers his head in between the steel bars and extends his head and neck outside, watching out for the old familiar car and Jenny waving goodbye to him.

“It is good to have times of stillness and quiet.” Once the morning choreography is completed, he sits back to watch passersby. In our part of the city, they are far-between, mainly neighbors on their way to Luisa’s, the neighborhood grocery, or some yayas with their wards on their way to the park. He sits and watches for hours anyway, day in, day out. I sometimes think he is a reincarnation of Lolo Imo who spent hours people-watching from the second-floor living room window of the old house on G. Tuason St. in Sampaloc.

“Respect other people’s property.” He would have none of the neighbors' construction workers chatting during their lunch break on our sidewalk grass under the shade of our tree. Nor of neighbors walking their pets and allowing them to pee on our grass. They unfailingly get his ire, barking at them until they leave or move on.

“Enjoy your blessings no matter how small.” “Sama?” starts him jumping excitedly. Never mind if it will just be a 3-5 minute ride to take me to the MRT gate or to pick me up from the West Avenue gate of the subdivision. It is much appreciated anyway, E-V-E-R-Y time. After the trip, he walks back into the house with a swagger. Often he goes straight to his water dispenser and fills up like one just back from a long trip.

“Vegetables and fruits are good for health.” He has always been a vegetarian and fruitarian. He loves ampalaya followed by sayote, kalabasa and pechay. His favorite pet treats are organic carrot and asparagus. He gorges on nilagang kamote for merienda, licks his lips in appreciation after a taste of durian, and munches on apple and singkamas.

“Don’t forget to say thank you.” Diego is groomed at Animal House Mega Mall every 6 to 8 weeks -- milk bath, shampoo and blow-dry, ear cleaning, anal sac cleaning, nail trim and toothbrushing. As groomer Kuya Richard fixes his harness and hands him over to Jenny 2 or 3 hours later, Diego gives him a good lick as if to say “Thank you, kuya. I feel so refreshed.”

This unlikely teacher will continue to show many other lessons many humans need badly to learn. Diego is truly living up to the name of the kennel he came from -- Heavenly Blessings.