It was this warm winter morning, it was cold but warm in the way the wind doesn’t blow and all the trees have this fresh layer of snow. So fresh and white and we bundled Finn all up and went out into the yard. He just started walking and it was so fun watching him, this little circle of clothing trying to navigate snow footing, a teeter here a teeter their almost falling over. The sun was out and the world was crystal clear and white and it was Kodiak
The neighbor dog came running over young and exciting, excited about snow and people and just darted into our yard, tail wagging ready to lick everything as if he was all… “it fucking snowed, do you see this?”
“yes we do, we are just as excited as you”
And he smashed into me, he smashed into Kim, he smashed into Finn toppling him over. Once and over, the dog pounced upon him and licked and licked and licked.
I still remember his little legs and arms swimming
It had to be the most terrifying thing for him
We laughed and pulled him up by the boot straps and continued into the back yard towards the wood pile to start bringing in wood for the wood stove. It was winter now
We had so many warm awesome winter nights in Kodiak as a new family
But it wasn’t until later on when we were walking out at Abercrombie that we realized how much that experience shook him
this little Labrador darted by and he just jumped into our arms
This happened for many years, a dog would come, he would jump, hide.. later as I recognized it I would step between the dog and my son, to let him know that it was ok, that Dad was there, between him and anything that he was afraid of even if he never needed to be afraid
It was the first thing I learned as a father
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