Play Dates

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:17

This is Sugar:

She’s the neighbor dog.


Hater of cats.


Plucker of chickens.


Lover of the kids’ swimming pool when it is hot outside.


She visits us often, but hadn’t been around much lately.


This is our dog Lucky:

Eater of everything.


Killer of chickens.


Lover of cats.


And best buds with Sugar.


Every time he can’t be found, we only have to go as far as Sugar’s house. There you’ll find them chewing on a stick together or ripping apart a blanket or toy.


Unfortunately Sugar has more sense than our dog. He’s a puppy and she’s an adult now. Lucky would follow Sugar wherever she might want to go, which could include crossing a busy street. And he would most likely end up like our last dog who ventured close to that road and is now buried out under the pine tree in the pasture.


So, Lucky is penned up for his own good. But, Sugar came to visit this morning, so I penned her up with Lucky for a playdate. Turns out she’d disappeared from her owner this morning, and she’s in jail until he comes to get her, but I’m telling her it is a playdate.


They’ve enjoyed sharing a snack, biting each others’ legs, chewing up Lucky’s old shoe instead of Sugar’s this time, and watching a movie.


Ok, maybe not the movie part.


But they have been watching the cat. The cat is torn about joining the playdate because she knows how Sugar feels about her.

Turns out, I have a playdate of my own tonight. I’ll be meeting another mother from church at an ice cream shop to talk about what kind of volunteering we don’t have the time for, but would like to head up anyway at the church. Should be a good hypothetical time.  Plus, there will be ice cream! 


I had lunch with my friend last week after taking her to Goodwill on her maiden voyage. She was quite frightened at all the germ possibilities lurking there, of which I hadn’t ever really considered.


I talked to another friend on the phone yesterday.


The truth is it doesn’t matter what you do, or what you talk about, or really even who you spend some time with, so long as you have some company every once in a while.  Whether you love cats, or hate cats, that you’re together is all that is really important.


I’m sure today after my play date I’ll feel “full”, filled with the kind of fullness you can only get from time with a friend.


I’m sure Lucky will feel the same way.


Or maybe it will be the dog food.


It's hard to tell with dogs.