The Road to the Roses

It’s a partnership, really. Yes, I am the master and he is to obey my command at all times, but apart from one another, neither of us could function—in sport or in life. I ensure that he is fed, kept clean and healthy, and that his quality of life remains at a high level at all times. He annoys me—bites, kicks, swats his tail at me as if I was just another obnoxious fly, buzzing around him—but at the end of the day he is always there for me, even when everyone else turns their back. He will never walk away, never leave me, never give up on the relationship. He always listens, and sometimes that’s all I need to get me through a rough time. Jive has been through fights, deaths, break-ups, and serious injury, and even when everything else is falling apart, I can always walk through that door and he’ll be there, reminding me that I am not alone. He’s the one constant in my life—the only thing that never changes in a world that never slows down. He’s stunning to the eye, soft to the touch, and his happy greeting is a glorious melody to the ears. Even though he can’t speak, I can read his every thought through his facial expressions, and I can predict his every action by the movement of his ears. If they are perked forward, he is happy; pinned back, I better get out of his way—he is mad. He’s perfect in stature, beautiful in every way. He gleams in the late day sun as if he was a new penny—one that hasn’t yet been scratched, aged by time, or rusted by rain. Standing five feet-eight inches at his shoulder (his head towers higher still), he has the power and strength to kill me in the blink of an eye, but he surrenders to me. In competition, I can point him in any direction, and he will go, even if he is unsure, because he trusts me. Trust is a very important part of our relationship. I have to trust that he will jump the obstacles, and that he has the ability to clear them. He has to trust that I will never put him in danger, even if the situation seems frightening to him. It’s a game of give and take—there are times when I must make the decision, and times when that responsibility falls on him. Either way, we both have to be ready to follow each other’s lead at any moment. On our best days we’ve been unbeatable together—bringing home the blue in almost every single class. On our worst days we’ve been out of sync, sometimes sloppy, and sometimes the round ends with me on the ground, an automatic disqualification. Regardless, I come away every time with new lessons learned, and a new appreciation for the teamwork. Is the partnership perfect? No. Do we sometimes disagree? Yes. But when all is said and done, we can always depend on each other to be there, never giving up, never quitting, never changing.