I’m 43

Choya gave me a birthday gift two days ago. A big one. She demonstrated her thorough comprehension of recall. We dropped her leash when she was playing with Maya the Pomsky on the beach, and she seized the opportunity to make a break for it. She ran and ran like the wind. With the leash trailing. She ran as far as my eye could see. Strangely, I wasn't too perturbed. When I determined that she had run far enough, I hollered her name. She skidded to a stop, and rounded back. Wow. 

My jaw dropped. All those months of recall training. This was the first time it actually succeeded in open ground, albeit unplanned. LOL We've always worked on recall in an empty dog park or fenced-off basketball court, etc. The goal is not to let her off the leash regularly. The goal is to have a successful recall during an unexpected... event. She's a Shiba-ken. She still wasn't going to obediently trot to my feet and lie down. She ran close and slowed down enough for us to grab her leash. Then she promptly laid down panting heavily, and asked to drink water.

Is this luck or fortuitous timing accumulated from months of training and bonding with my silly Shiba-ken? I won’t speculate. I never attach superstitious actions to the absurd notion of ‘luck’ or ‘for luck’. Lady Luck is capricious. Sorry fengshui and random traditions, you’re not for me. I’ll take my chances with God’s plans and await His timings. I prefer to pray for wisdom and guidance, and I attribute wishes to that. If wishes were granted, I’d first check if it wasn’t Lucifer playing tricks.

But on birthdays, perhaps wishes are more powerful. If I get a birthday wish that might come true, then as I sat in quietude and reflection at dawn today, I wished — may this wish and prayer be whispered out in ripples to reach loved ones. May this wish be for the friends and faeriefolk: To protect and nourish your mind and soul; stay sane and be well, so that I might lurk in your lives and pester the toenails out of you for another shitty year. 

Today I turn 43. I celebrate by wearing Hello Kitty face masks for the whole week. Hahaha. Well, I bought a box of 30 pieces to share with some equally silly and fun girlfriends. I arbitrarily assumed that the masks would fit them. (The height of chin to nose bridge is 13cm; the width of chin to edge of ear is 11cm.) I only need eight pieces right? Plenty to go around. Hurhurhur.