This week when we got home from Boston, we had a night without our brown dog. Camp Casler (Grandma and Grandpa) asked if they could drive her up the morning after we returned (and they stayed to babysit Brendan while I ran into work for a few budget meetings… thanks guys!). We had never experienced a night in the house with just Brendan and no Chelsea. We always make sure to give Chelsea plenty of love, but admittedly, her standing as the center of our attention has shifted a bit. After the long trip home, I will confess that I was totally fine with the idea of not having to do an extra evening walk with the dog. But what I learned is that Chelsea is an equal share of this family. Her absence left a palpable difference in the energy of our house, and Rob and I couldn’t stop commenting on how much we missed her.
I have always liked the definition of synergy – that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. A night without the pooch was a reminder that this family is better together – we all need each other to create a greater whole.
