God mummy and Dog mummy

Well, what a couple of weeks! I am now into my second year of marriage, we have a new addition to our little family in the shape of Ginger the Beagle and one of my best friends – who is weeks away from giving birth to her first child – asked me to be her daughter’s godmother.
After a magical weekend in Phuket, my husband and I arrived back to the heaving metropolis of Hong Kong, equipped with it’s long working hours, it’s addictive lifestyle and the little haven in Kennedy Town we call home. That home now has one more resident in the shape of Ginger.
Hong Kong has a huge number of stray dogs – some just wild but many, sadly, abandoned. There are a number of rescue centres here with the best known being the Hong Kong Dog Rescue in the New Territories. After much discussion my other half and I decided we were, for the first time in both our lives, able and wanting to take on a canine addition to our family. Having settled on our decision we took a trip up to the rescue centre just to have a look with the advice of our dog-owning friend in our ringing in our ears – “you don’t pick them they pick you…” That was entirely the case! On entering the bedlam of the small dog enclosure we immediately spied a quiet little brown, white and ginger beauty in the corner. Undisturbed by all the commotion around her she accepted our attention with an enthusiastically wagging tail and decided to sit beside us as we talked to the staff and followed us outside to the larger enclosure – her decision was made. On arriving home it is like she has always been here…
This great step followed the incredible privilege of being asked to be godmother to this little unborn person thousands of miles away with her whole life ahead of her. After an emotional acceptance, (second only to being proposed to), I sat and let the implication sink in. Throughout our lives her mum and I have both, separately, been surrounded by incredible, strong and inspirational women.  With her mark on the world as yet unknown, and such role models to draw on, it is a responsibility I do not take lightly – whilst simultaneously allaying the fears I will disappoint her mother!
Sadly, life does not always go as smoothly as one would like. On taking Ginger home we noticed a small lump on her head. A swift vet appointment later a state of limbo has been imposed as we await her surgery next weekend, and that the all clear is given that the ‘suspicious’ cells have not spread. It is a bridge we will cross if we need.
I may yet be able to introduce this gentle little soul to my soon-to-be-born goddaughter, but, whatever the out come, she came in to our lives for a reason. Whether it be six months or six years we will enjoy every second we have with her – and her with us, and remind ourselves that to enjoy life to it’s fullest you must always appreciate what you have, whilst you actually have it.

~ by londongirlgoeseast on July 18, 2010.