July 4th isn’t just Independence Day for me – it’s also Lady’s birthday. Lady was my first dog – she grew up with me, and better-tempered dog you won’t find. She would have been 20 today.

Grace hasn’t been feeling well, so I went and got her some noodles from our local Asian market (where they speak French and Chinese, so I’m good there). On the way back, I came across a cocker spaniel being led by a little girl who can’t be much younger than I was when we first got Lady. The cocker spaniel was the spitting image of Lady, right down to the shagginess (we gave her a haircut only when absolutely necessary…and in the summer).

As I rounded the corner, following them (not intentionally and not in a creepy way – they were just headed in the same directly), the dog suddenly turned her head and, upon seeing me, and barked, as if she recognized me, and strained on her leash. The little girl tugged her in another direction, and away they went. But sentimentally, and probably a little foolishly, I can’t help but wonder if that’s Lady’s way of telling me, nearly a decade after she died, that she’s ok.

Happy Birthday.