"Like Scotty Dogs"

When I was a pre-teen, growing up in rural Southern Ontario (Musselmans Lake near Stouffville), we had a series of collies as pets.  One winter, a stray Scotty dog wandered into our lives.  He was a great little dog, accepting our welcoming hospitality and affection for several months, until one day he just wandered off and we never saw him again.  As kids, we were saddened for a while but, fortunately still had our faithful collies (and a host of short-term visits by baby rabbits, raccoons, and foxes).

Later in my adult life, when a seemly long-term friend wandered out of my life, I would think of that little Scotty dog.  At first, I'd wonder why it happened.  Was it something I said or did?  Then, I realized that some people are like that Scotty dog.  They bring warmth and fun into our days for varying lengths of time and then, because of their nature, they drift away, looking for new friends and adventures.  Now, rather than fretting over their loss, I simply put it down as one of life's many and varied experiences, remember the good times, and watch for the next Scotty dog to appear.