Before I was a dog mom

I made and ate hot meals unmolested,
I had unstained, unfired clothes.
I had quiet conversations on the phone,
even if the doorbell rang.
Before I was a dog mom,
I slept as late as I wanted.
And never worried about how late
I got to bed,
or if I could get into my bed.
Before I was a dog mom,
I didn’t worry if my plants, cleansers,
plastic bags, toilet paper, soap or deodorant
were poisonous or dangerous.
Before I was a dog mom,
I never had been peed on,
pooped on, drooled on, chewed on,
or pinched by puppy teeth.
Before I was a dog mom,
I had complete control of
my thoughts,
my body and mind.
I slept all night without sharing
the covers or pillow.
Before I was a dog mom,
I never looked into big,
soulful eyes and cried.
I never felt my heart break into
a million pieces
when I couldn’t stop the hurt.
I never knew something so furry
and four legged could affect
my heart so deeply.
I had never held a sleeping
puppy just because
I couldn’t put it down.
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was well.
I didn’t know how warm it feels inside to feed
a hungry puppy.
I didn’t know that something so small could make
me feel so important.
Before I was a dog mom,
I had never known the warmth,
the joy, the love, the heartache,
the wonderment, or the satisfaction of being
A Dog Mom.