My childhood dog was named Tsu-Tze [pronounced “Suzie”] and she was a shih-tzu. She was a lap dog if ever there was one – probably around 10 pounds at full size. She was my first dog ever and I was so excited when we brought her home. We all loved her and she loved us, but she had a favorite. To her, my Mom was the greatest human to ever walk the face of the planet.
I know that this is true because when I would come home from school and let her out of her crate, she would run up to me and give me kisses and say hello and play some games. But then she would march over to the living room. There was this couch that we had underneath a window overlooking the front yard. She would jump on the couch and hop up onto the top ridge of the couch (just like a cat!) so that she could see, so that she could be prepared for the exact instant that Mom’s car pulled into the driveway. Sure, you could go over to the couch and say hi to her when she was at her watch post. She’d be friendly enough, but that was where she stayed until that grand moment arrived.
That moment – when the headlights came and the car pulled into the drive. That moment when she jumped up and started running back and forth because she knew – she knew! – that the best ever human in all of existence was coming into the house any moment. And she saw Mom and she darted back and forth and she stretched out her little paws on Mom’s knee because she was just giddy to be in Mom’s arms. And every day, Mom had to say, “Hello, Tsu-Tze! Yes, I’m happy to see you, but I need to put my bags down first.” And Tsu-Tze would escort Mom over to the work stuff chair for the bags to be deposited. And then – and then her joy was complete!
Every day she sat at her post. Now, I’m no pet psychic; I’m not a dog whisperer so I don’t know exactly how she was thinking and feeling. Maybe some days she was in a bad mood, had a hard time, got teased by a squirrel – I dunno. But she never failed to keep her post because she knew that her greatest joy would come through the door any minute, any minute, maybe even now. In some ways, I think everything we need to know about Advent and the joy of Christ returning to us is contained in her daily ritual of faithfulness, hope, and joy.