Smokey the Shih Tzu
- Sheila Buffy
- Feb 9
- 2 min read
I’m sitting on the couch holding Smokey the Shih Tzu like a baby.
That’s the whole moment.
He’s curled up in my arms, heavy and relaxed. His head is resting against me and his paws are tucked in. He’s not paying attention to anything else. He’s not listening for sounds. He’s just comfortable. When he gets like this, I know he feels safe.
My husband is talking while this is happening. He’s narrating without trying to. He says Smokey is the prince and that he’s the king. He’s smiling when he says it. It’s playful. It’s just how we talk in our house.
In our home, Smokey is the prince and my husband is the king in a playful way. We don’t mean it seriously. In our faith, there is only one true King, and that is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Everything else is just love and joking and being a family.
Smokey loves being held. He always has. He likes being close. He likes knowing where mom and dad are. When I hold him like this, he doesn’t squirm or try to get down. He relaxes. His body softens. His breathing slows. He could stay like this all day if I let him.
Being babied isn’t something he grew into. It’s just who he is.
Watching my husband talk about Smokey like that matters to me more than he probably realizes. Not because of the words, but because of how normal it feels. Calm. Easy. Like nothing else needs attention right now.
This moment isn’t special because it’s emotional or dramatic. It’s special because it’s ordinary.
I’m on the couch.
Smokey is in my arms.
My husband is talking nearby.
The house is quiet.
Smokey is our world. He really is. Everything kind of centers around him, and we’re okay with that. He brings comfort into the room without trying. He doesn’t fix anything. He just stays close.
Right now, that’s enough.
That’s our home.
That’s our life.
And that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.
More of our life with Smokey is at lifewithsmokey.com.
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