Isn't It Ironic?

It was supposed to be the year of the house. And of the cat. And, oh yes, the year of the dog, too.

In the midst of the pandemic, my husband and I came up with a very unoriginal idea. We decided to leave California, buy a piece of land, and build our dream house, even though building a house had not been a dream of either of us. In order to get our boys on board, we promised them a pet. Our older son asked for a cat. Why not? I found felines intriguing and low maintenance. My younger son, who clearly noticed an opportunity, started his negotiations with a wolf, but settled for a German shepherd. Here, I had many reasons why not. Dogs were dirty, lots of work, and I was scared of them. But I believed pets were good for kids, so if the boys committed to helping and training the dog, I was ready to give it a try. After all, I was leaving California fires, earthquakes, and drought to live in an earth-friendly house with a big kitchen, a writing nook by the window overlooking the mountains, and a bathroom with a soaking bath, my latest obsession. It was only fair the kids chose their furry friends.

We bought the land, we hired an architect, and we moved out of the hustle and bustle of the SF Bay Area to the serenity of a ranch, nestled on fifty acres of rolling hills. We got a puppy and a kitten. Everything was going according to our plan. Until it did not.

The construction costs skyrocketed, so once we completed the design phase, we decided not to go with the building process. The kitten was always sick and cry-meaowed in the bathroom while hiding from the dog, so we decided to find him a new home. With no building plans, we had no reason to stay in the area, so we moved to another town. We had previously reasoned against the town, but now fell in love with it. Go figure! We bought an overpriced house that was far from our dreams. “It must have been a hard decision,”a friend of mine sympathised when I told her about our latest move and buying an old house instead of a building a new house. “You put so much time and energy into it." Yes, we did. But no it wasn't. Building a house didn't make sense anymore. We felt lucky that we were quick on our feet and redefined our plans when we did and were able to come up with Plan B, just before the new school year. The only thing we kept was our German shepherd, Kyra, which, willy-nilly, and predictably, became my new responsibility.

Taking care of the dog was taking a lot of my time and energy, which, according to my husband, I could direct elsewhere. Also, I allowed her to be a bit self-employed, which didn’t land well with my husband either. He started planning on giving Kyra away, the fine print option I insisted on including in our deal with the boys.

I never wanted a dog. Especially a big dog, with big teeth. I had enough on my plate and didn't need to add two hours of walking every day. Or did I? Somehow, those long walks and hikes with Kyra have been the highlight of my days. She made me explore our beautiful trails and parks the way I never would. The feeling I got when we walked next to each other at the same pace was is indescribable. The way petting her or sitting next to her would calm me was pure magic. And the boys loved her and she loved them.

And so, when my husband was ready to put her on Craigslist, I vetoed it.

“Isn’t it ironic?”

Maybe, it is, Ms. Morissette. But at the same time, “Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.” Thank you, Mr. Lennon.

I’m glad we have planned for our year of the house, and the cat, and the dog. But I am even happier that we have allowed it to become the year of the house that we never built, the kitten that didn’t stay, and the dog that is not going anywhere.