Happy Birthday Dasa

My little girl who occupies a huge chunk of my heart will celebrate her 13th birthday on Thanksgiving. This seems especially appropriate because Dasa is such a blessing. We are so grateful for our sweet little girl with her charming underbite and little pink nose. When we list all the many things we’re thankful for, Ivan and Dasa are at the top of the list.

We adopted Dasa in 2004 shortly after we lost our fourteen year old rescue Leo to squamous cell carcinoma. We missed gentle sweet-tempered Leo, but we decided Ivan would be an only child, as he had more than enough personality and energy to keep us busy.  Eight and a half years later, we are so happy life took a different direction.  Thanks to BRAT, we found ourselves the proud parents of a very shy little girl. Dasa was so shy and worried when she first came to live with us, we put a line of spray cheese on the floor to keep her busy while I snapped on her leash for walks. She was afraid of men, so we had Eric hold her leash on walks. Walks were fun, and the other end of the leash was a safe place for Eric to be. Dasa is smart and brave, and she quickly discovered that Daddy is a big softie when it comes to his little girl, and she now eagerly hops into his lap.

Dasa became our little Doodle; I can’t remember when we started using that nickname, but it seems to suit our dainty girl. From the start she and Ivan got along very well. (That was my one feeble comment when I got the call from BRAT telling me Dasa needed a home:  She and Ivan have to get along.)  The Munchkins are so good together. They grump at each other over who sits closer to Mom or Dad and we feed them in separate rooms, but they really get along very well, yet another reason to feel infinitely blessed.

Our little girl has blossomed. Ivan’s assurance that he is the center of his universe has given her confidence of her own. She no longer hides under a bed when there are loud noises. She’s friendly, inquisitive, and sometimes, to our amusement, almost bossy in her demands for attention and treats. She leaps waist high when we prepare her food; mealtime is always a cause for celebration. Dasa has become a champion snuggler and a delight who makes us laugh from sheer happiness. It is humbling to be loved and trusted by such a sweet innocent spirit. Our little sprite gives each day a lift, and enriches our family in countless ways. Dasa is a gift we joyfully celebrate.

Happy Birthday to our little pink-nosed Princess.