A Lesson In Love From Little Miss. Foo Foo

When I first met Foo, my brother's puppy, I was finishing law school and busy studying for the bar. In pictures she was adorable and looked like a hamster, because she was so small. However, whenever he'd bring her around, I found her so annoying, because I couldn't get anything done around her. She was so hyper and so little, she jumped all over me non-stop, so I couldn't study, or eat, or do anything productive in her presence. So you just had this tiny furry ball bouncing around you and off of you all the time. As such, being a high stress level time in my life, I really did not like her. I mean, I really did not like her at all. I was forced to lock myself in my room anytime I needed to get something done, even to workout. She was a real pain in my ass.

At least, my brother took her back with him to Santa Cruz at the end of the summer when he went back to finish his last year of university, and then I moved to Nashville. I don't remember exactly when it was, but one day I finally broke and gave into her love. She was ferociously licking my feet as she does to everyone, and I just suddenly realized she is so full of love, how could I not love her back? Despite my disdain for her, she loved me so vivaciously. It wasn't a process, I didn't slowly grow to love her. It was more like her love so forcibly penetrated me, my walls instantly crumbled when I realized she wasn't annoying, she was loving. From that point on, I've loved her so incredibly I get so excited just thinking of her and her cute little face.

She has weak lungs and yet when you walk through the door she'll run to you and often starts heaving heavily, but it's as though she ignores that and continues with excitement as it sounds like she's choking on giant gulps of air. She likes to sleep between your legs, and is a terrible running partner because she stops to sniff everything.

She is truly so sweet and full of love, and it is thanks to this little girl that I was shown once more how only LOVE can conquer hate.

While I was out of the country for a couple weeks, it felt like a war had broken out back home, on top of all the violence and terror that continues around the world, and for a moment I felt utterly helpless. Is this what we must grow accustomed to as the norm? Can we truly conquer all the hate and terror in the world? I had to remind myself that only light can chase away the darkness, and only love can conquer hate. Then I thought, how do you remind the world that this is the truth, and not just hopeful words? Well, Foo's face came to mind, and I remembered how I came around to love her like my own blood.

So just love the heck out of everyone, because eventually their walls will fall.

BIG LOVE & HUGS

Love,

​Justine

P.S. In case you're wondering why her name is Foo, it's because her mother's name was Tofu, so my brother thought it clever to name her Foo. I guess it's better than naming her Toe.