For some time, I had toyed with the idea of getting another dachshund, another black and tan short-haired, but a female this time. Not wanting to hassle with training a puppy again, I checked out dachshund rescue organizations but found that they had restrictive requirements, such as a fenced-in backyard and a one-story home, that I couldn’t meet. I still had our ten-year-old chihuahua Luna, but I wanted another dachshund.

The timing didn’t seem right. We had just moved cross-country to a new home, and I still had boxes in the basement. I was busy with work, and there were plenty of good reasons not to get another dog. But I kept thinking about her, this black and tan short-haired dachshund. I even named her: Evelyn, or Evie for short.

Then one day a dachshund breeder reached out. I had made inquiries on Facebook to two breeders just to find out the cost, but I had never moved forward from there. She had two black and tan short-haired females that were 14 weeks old, and she was leaving on a family vacation soon. She needed to find them homes and was willing to reduce the price. My daughter also was interested in a dachshund puppy, so we bought the sisters, Evelyn and her sister Dottie.

Bringing home a puppy is inviting chaos and a lot of extra work into your home. It’s also saying, “I do” to more love and joy, and that’s what I want, regardless of my age. I recently read a poem by Steve Garnaas-Holmes whose brother just got married at 69 years old. Here are my favorite lines:

It’s a time of looking toward the future with

hope,

because every time is, even when it seems late.

Now is the time, and not too late, to declare

your heart.

Now is the time to make a commitment.

Now, no matter how much time is left,

is a time, the very best time,

to cast your lot with love and beauty and

faithfulness.

(see this link for the poem “Never too late” in its entirety)

Garnaas-Holmes sees choosing more love and joy as a way of loving the world. I said “I do” to Evelyn Sue Kuhlman, and loving this puppy is part of my meager contribution to loving the world.