Looking Pathetic

I don’t typically attempt this task on my own. Not since baby number 2 arrived anyway. But my husband had to work that day and it had to be done, so the task was left to me. And my three kids.

I pulled into the parking lot of our vet’s office, put both girls in the stroller, grabbed the dog leash, and had instructed my son to walk beside the stroller. When I tugged on Maggie’s leash to start our trek across the lot, she immediately started pulling back on her leash. She knew right away where we were and had no desire to go into that vet office.

“Not cool Maggie, I am trying to steer a double stroller here and keep my four year old close at hand.” Cars are driving past. “Come on girl, it’s ok.”

“Maggie come!” (said with a voice of pleading desperation)

She keeps tugging back and I am afraid she’s going to pull out of her collar. (That’s all I need… my dog loose in the parking lot while I try to chase her with three toddlers in tow).

Looks like I am stuck here.

So I pick her up. All 37 pounds of her. She doesn’t fit easily on my hip like my kids do, since she’s quite long. So I am holding my long, fat, dog who is struggling against me and scratching my stomach as I push the awkward double stroller and keep my eye on my son. The door feels like it is getting farther rather than closer with each awkward step.

As I approach the curb and wonder how I am going to “pop a wheelie” with Maggie in hand, an angel appeared. She came running out of the coffee shop, late in hand.

“Can I help you?” I didn’t even pretend like I had it under control.

Not even for a second

I immediately and enthusiastically answered “Yes, please” as she set her late down and pushed the stroller to the vet door for me.

She told me she saw me out the window as she was sitting with her friend in the coffee shop and “just had to come help me.”

I thanked her profusely as she opened the vet door and pushed the stroller in for me. I vowed to myself that when my kids are grown and in school and I see some pathetic looking mom, I too will run to the rescue.

I wish the story ended here. But it doesn’t.

Once inside, Maggie is still nervous as she sees other dogs in there. I try to hide her in the corner behind the stroller and keep the kids from touching anything while we wait in the waiting room with a rather disgruntled looking lady and her dog. She gave me a look that said I earned my spot in THAT family. Then my son points in the direction of the lady and her dog and says loudly, “DOG KILLER” only it could be misinterpreted as “DOG, KILL HER”

“What” I cry out. “Why would you say that”

“Mom, look it’s a dog killer”

“No, no we don’t kill dogs. What are you talking about?”

Those things mom, remember they kill dogs."

It is then that I realize he isn’t pointing at that lady or her dog, but at the disgusting pictures of heart worms on the wall behind her.

“Right, I say. Your talking about the HEART WORMS. They do kill dogs, that is true. That’s why we give Maggie medicine.”

At this point for whatever reason both girls are crying, loudly.

The vet comes around the corner, and here is where he earned his pennies with me. He gets down on his knees, talks to my kids, looks at the book they are holding, and reads it to them. He promises he’ll see us back in the room shortly.

The kids stop crying and we parade back to the exam room. The girls happily much on cheerios while I help to hold Maggie on the exam table and my son talks and questions the vet on everything. He kindly answers their questions, jokes with the kids, and somehow we all end up ok. We leave with some antibiotic, a spray, and a lovely E-collar.

As I pay our bill, the lady at the desk asks if I need help to the car. I am torn. Leaving should be easier than coming. But, pride comes before the fall. She goes on to say, “We saw you coming in. We were just getting ready to go help you when that lady came out. " No use trying to save face here.

“Yes, please, I could use a hand.”

She kindly walked Maggie to the car and home we went. Not a moment too soon.

Guess we all looked a bit pathetic that day. Check out Maggie’s lovely new look.