It was an early spring show in Edison, NJ. It was held still indoors since it is still March. Although it was the first full day of spring, it was graced with falling snow throughout. Nonetheless, here we were showing our dogs on a week-day no less. It was my first time taking Jelly (Ch. Kasharra Bibikov Maskova) to a show and I must say I had a bad case of nerves. I wanted her to do well, as a parent bringing a child to a dance recital. My apprehension was foolish and misdirected. In the ring she was as graceful and flawless as a ballerina. No need for worry there. And although I knew she wished to be elsewhere, she did her job effortlessly, as if to say, “It’s alright……I’ll do it.”
I had bathed her the day before, and her coat sparkled as if it contained silver star dust. Her almond set eyes were large, dark and deep set, giving her face the innocent expression of a fawn. They especially accented her face against her pure white color of her coat. Her beauty could make one’s heart ache. She did well on two of the three days.
Looking back on it, I learned something to bring with me the next time. I know nerves are badly frayed on a show day so perhaps I should overlook the breaches of kindness in others to their own stresses. Whatever, I have waited a very long time to bring another borzoi to the ring and I wanted everything to be perfect. To me, it was because the dog I was with was a borzoi and it was with Jelly. I thank her breeder for entrusting this beautiful borzoi to me. Words can never express my gratitude to her for bringing the sunshine back into the very dark place that has been my life for a long time.
Looking outside tonight as I walk Jelly in the seemingly cold, winter air I see the moon in its waxing crescent phase, seemingly revealing only a crescent shaped sliver of light, I thought how much like that my life is. The whole world around me feels dark and cold yet as I step out into it with Jelly, there is a place perhaps far away, distant and remote, where there is a sliver of hope, light, warmth and beauty that is mine. I only need take the time to seek it, cherish it and love it very much.