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PJ

by | Jun 3, 2024 | Pam's Pen

Like most families, we had an array of pets. When my children were small, we got a little terrier mix named PJ, who lived a long and happy life as a beloved family member. PJ was a neighborhood favorite. He wore a sweater in the winter and would sometimes shed it if the day warmed up. Usually, a neighborhood child would come to the back door to return PJ’s sweater. Our backyard was fenced, but PJ always managed to escape. He loved visiting the neighbors who lived behind our house.

PJ became my son Wesley’s sidekick. Whatever Wesley was doing, PJ was there with him. One of Wesley’s Scout patches required him to tan an animal hide. We obtained a deer hide from my cousin and were ready to start after some research. One caveat to Boy Scouts is that parents must take an active role as their son earns his patches.

 I bought pig brains and boiled them until they became a gray, paste-like consistency. Meanwhile, Wesley and his dad built a rack to stretch out the hide and pinned it to the frame. I still have the mental picture of Wesley spreading gray pig brain paste on the deer hide as PJ licked up whatever dropped on the ground.

A few years later, we were hosting a summer Youth Bible Study. The kids were sitting on the back patio, facing the backyard. The cat Buster was lounging in the late afternoon sun when PJ decided to join her. He crawled on top of her and attempted to “demonstrate his love” for her! Of course, we were responsible pet owners, so nothing could happen, but he didn’t know that, and she didn’t seem to care!

The kids began to snicker, and Mike, our Youth leader, turned around to see what they were looking at. At this point, they all lost it, and everyone began to laugh except Wesley, who had his head in his hands. I don’t know if he ever did live that down, but he still loved that little dog. I was thankful Mike had a sense of humor.

A few years later, PJ escaped while we were at church one Sunday and found himself in the jaws of a German Shepherd. The owner had rushed PJ to our Veterinarian before we got home from church and arrived in our driveway just as we came home. PJ spent a week in the hospital, and Wesley visited him every day after school. Poor PJ came home with drains and stitches, but he slowly recovered and returned to his sweet little self.

 PJ lived a wonderful life for seventeen years.  He helped foster six abandoned kittens during his lifetime, one white rabbit, and several hamsters. Wesley was two years old when we got PJ, and he was almost twenty when PJ went to doggy heaven.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” James 1:17

Father, thank You for the gifts You give us. Thank You for PJ and the lessons of love and loyalty we learn from even the smallest of Your creatures. Amen.

Like most families, we had an array of pets. When my children were small, we got a little terrier mix named PJ, who lived a long and happy life as a beloved family member. PJ was a neighborhood favorite. He wore a sweater in the winter and would sometimes shed it if the day warmed up. Usually, a neighborhood child would come to the back door to return PJ’s sweater. Our backyard was fenced, but PJ always managed to escape. He loved visiting the neighbors who lived behind our house.

PJ became my son Wesley’s sidekick. Whatever Wesley was doing, PJ was there with him. One of Wesley’s Scout patches required him to tan an animal hide. We obtained a deer hide from my cousin and were ready to start after some research. One caveat to Boy Scouts is that parents must take an active role as their son earns his patches.

I bought pig brains and boiled them until they became a gray, paste-like consistency. Meanwhile, Wesley and his dad built a rack to stretch out the hide and pinned it to the frame. I still have the mental picture of Wesley spreading gray pig brain paste on the deer hide as PJ licked up whatever dropped on the ground.

A few years later, we were hosting a summer Youth Bible Study. The kids were sitting on the back patio, facing the backyard. The cat Buster was lounging in the late afternoon sun when PJ decided to join her. He crawled on top of her and attempted to “demonstrate his love” for her! Of course, we were responsible pet owners, so nothing could happen, but he didn’t know that, and she didn’t seem to care!

The kids began to snicker, and Mike, our Youth leader, turned around to see what they were looking at. At this point, they all lost it, and everyone began to laugh except Wesley, who had his head in his hands. I don’t know if he ever did live that down, but he still loved that little dog. I was thankful Mike had a sense of humor.

A few years later, PJ escaped while we were at church one Sunday and found himself in the jaws of a German Shepherd. The owner had rushed PJ to our Veterinarian before we got home from church and arrived in our driveway just as we came home. PJ spent a week in the hospital, and Wesley visited him every day after school. Poor PJ came home with drains and stitches, but he slowly recovered and returned to his sweet little self.

PJ lived a wonderful life for seventeen years.  He helped foster six abandoned kittens during his lifetime, one white rabbit, and several hamsters. Wesley was two years old when we got PJ, and he was almost twenty when PJ went to doggy heaven.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” James 1:17

Father, thank You for the gifts You give us. Thank You for PJ and the lessons of love and loyalty we learn from even the smallest of Your creatures. Amen.