(Little) Man's Best Friend

By Thomas Morrone, CFP®, CPA

When Kyle was born, the doctor in the hospital suggested that we give Buddy the blanket and beanie hat that Kyle wore the day he was born. Well, that was the beginning of their relationship in that Buddy had the scent of this little person that would soon be integrated into his life. The attention that went totally to Buddy now had to be shared with this little person. That was almost 17 months ago and now their relationship has grown to something that is very cool. It has been fun to watch it grow, evolve and mature to what it is today, and their relationship will certainly continue to blossom on a path all its own. Kyle’s vocabulary continues to grow and expand as well. Of course, he says al the various words that you would expect. One of his first words was “Buddy”.

When Kyle and Buddy see each other now, it is an event that is worthy of watching. Buddy starts with an excited barking frenzy with tail wagging and he makes every effort to get Kyle’s attention and some type of acknowledgment of his existence. At the same time, Kyle immediately launches into a verbal Buddy, Buddy, Buddy and is so excited to see his furry little friend. Kyle stamps his feet and waves his arms while continuing with the Buddy, Buddy, Buddy chanting. Eventually after some sniffing by Buddy and maybe a lick on the cheek and some controlled petting by Kyle, the two seem to then settle down and go back to their lives at their normal routines. As the day continues, their paths cross continuously as Buddy follows Kyle around the house with curiosity. Kyle lumbers around the house with the drunken sailor walk of a toddler with Buddy in tow. It is a show to watch as they test each other for space. Buddy is very good about not touching any of Kyle’s toys. Kyle also is very good about respecting Buddy’s toys. This mutual respect between the two of them regarding their toys avoids the potential for conflicts.

Let me be clear that they are both under a very watchful eye as to their whereabouts with each other. They both can be very quick with their movements so keeping some distance between them is a good practice. When Kyle is in a relaxed mood while looking at books or watching a show, Buddy seems to find a way to sneak along side him and settle in right next to him and enjoy the calm of the moment. While reading books, if there are pictures of a dog that in anyway resembles Buddy, of course Kyle immediately points and says Buddy, Buddy! The two of them are so cute together and they truly enjoy each other’s companionship. When taking them both for a walk, Kyle is constantly moving around in the stroller looking for Buddy just to be sure he is in eye shot. At the end of the day when Kyle is leaving, there is the good-bye ritual that they both go through. It is not as robust as the hello event when they first see each other but it is still a ritual nonetheless.

Kyle and Buddy will continue to spend time together and I have visions of them running around the yard together when the warmer weather is upon us. They certainly will go for walks together and have their shares of adventures. Life is good for these two, and for us that are watching nearby. This is the current situation of an evolving story.
It will be interesting when the new baby arrives how they both deal with sharing the attention spotlight not only with each other but with parents and grandparents alike. To be continued….

Until the Next Tom’s Take…

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