Thinking of Tink

Since Ori arrived almost 2 weeks ago I haven't had an opportunity to work on Tink's scrapbook as our spare minutes have been spent working with O.  As a result of potty training, we've been doing more laundry.  We used to call it "Tinker laundry" as we were always washing towels and blankies as she peed in her crate daily.  Now it's "dog laundry."  I went through the house and washed all the bedding and I had a wave of sadness and nostalgia as I was folding dog towels.  It amazes me where and when my heart finds a memory and it hits me.

Ori reminds us a lot of Tink.  The sighs, the snores (not as loud, but we figure we'll give her a few years to work on that!), the snuggling, the determination and courage she shows all ring of the Little One that lived and loved here for so long.   Every once in a while Ori sighs and I feel like Tink is in the room again.  We played games last night and Ori laid in my lap for a good portion of the night (stinking us out of the room, but that's another story!) content as content can be.  Her little face was so peaceful and comfy as she laid there lightly snoring away.  When we sit on the couch, she likes to lay on our lap, touching us in some way.  For some reason I didn't plan on this foster being a little snuggler...almost like I had given up hope of that happening again...

Nick and I are imagining that Tink was probably pretty similar to Ori when she was her age.  If she was in a place at that age where she could play and snuggle, I imagine she would have had a nice blend of the two.  We figure in a few years, Ori will be more like Tink as we knew her as her snuggling desire seems to be increasing the longer she is with us (I know it's only been 2 weeks but still!)  It's like through Ori, we're getting a taste of what Tinker's puppy hood might have been like.  Of course we'll never really know, but it does help me smile when I see Ori running around outside happy as happy can be.  Somehow through giving Ori a puppy hood, pieces of Tink's are here with us too.  And of course we are imagining that these similarities will carry out in Ori as she matures and enters into adulthood.

Of course we love Ori for being uniquely Ori, playing with puppy, chewing on bones, following Molly around in young curiosity, rolling on the floor and pushing off the wall with her back legs, her cute but big under bite, etc etc.  There is something pleasant about the similarities between O and Tink.  These similarities are producing more smiles than tears, although sometimes the loss of Tink still hits like a sharp blow to the stomach.

So here I sit thinking of my little heart dog and Ori is contently sleeping on my lap in all her smooshy face puppy-ish goodness.  God's timing is not a mere coincidence...