Rufus Wreath

Rufus Wreath
WC 449

It was a crazy day. We were trying to decorate the house for Christmas. Everyone had their appointed tasks, as they had each year.

It seems we had assigned these tasks once the kids had been old enough to follow directions. I got to do the lights, mom got to do the passing out of the decorations for the tree, and the children put their favorite decorations on the tree. Then everyone helped put the little finishing touches around the house. The crowning glory was the Christmas wreath. It went on the front door and we made quite a ceremony of it.

All was going fine until that one year, the year Rufus came.

Let me tell you about Rufus. He is a Spinone Italiano breed of dog. It is an ancient breed, and not well known in the U.S. We found Rufus in a shelter that day and fell in love with his friendly nature and welcoming face.

Rufus was adopted the day we usually put a Christmas wreath on the front door. In fact, we were on the way to buy that wreath when we stopped at the animal shelter. There he was. We all fell in love with a scruffy faced dog in need of a home. He was a lonely dog in need of a loving family. It was a match made in heaven. We left with Rufus and his bag of dog food.

We got home and unloaded the car. Into the house went the kids and Rufus. In went my wife and I and the Christmas wreath. We started our appointed decorating tasks.

I put lights on the tree. Wife put decorations out for the children to choose. The children started decorating the tree. Christmas music played softly in the background. We were all absorbed in our tasks and completely forgot about the Spinone Italiano dog now in our home.

I looked at my wife, she looked at me. We walked into the kitchen. Lying on the floor was the big dog. At his feet laid his bag of dog food and balanced on top of the bag was the Christmas wreath. Rufus looked at us and wagged his tail. Then he lay back down and rested his big head on his big paws. His eyes were focused on the wreath.

Ever since that day, Rufus gets to guard a Christmas wreath for us. It stays with him for the holidays. We buy another wreath for the door. But we always make sure to get him a ‘Rufus Wreath’ to decorate his bag of dog food.