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I used to get the most awful nightmares, the sort that you wake up from sweating like you’ve run a marathon and with your throat sore from trying to scream. The worst bit was when I’d wake up, and the nightmares would shift into sleep paralysis[1] rather than letting me go. I’d be lying there feeling like I was under a crushing weight, and firmly convinced that some terrible thing had followed me out of my nightmares and was lurking in the room somewhere, but that I couldn’t get my head to turn and look.Then I got a cat.She spent the first couple of nights sleeping under my bed, carefully hidden behind the boxes of sweaters. Midway through the third night, I was woken by a soft thump next to my knees, and a suspicious kitty prowling around my bed trying to find the most comfortable spot. It was a chilly October night, so I didn’t really have a problem with her settling down on my feet like a fluffy little hot water bottle.We’d been sharing the bed for a couple of weeks when I had the next nightmare. As usual, I was thrashing and mumbling in my sleep, and then semi-woke into sleep paralysis, convinced that some awful thing was in my room and trying to suck my soul out of my body. But this time something was different, and that something was a worried meow and a paw cautiously poking my face. I snapped straight out of the nightmare, feeling control over my body returning to me. The first thing I did was raise a hand to pet the cat, who settled from anxious alertness, started purring, and draped herself over my shoulders like a gently vibrating shawl.She’s snapped me out of a couple of nightmares since then, and I think that just knowing she’s around has relaxed me enough that I don’t have them nearly as often. If I wake in the night convinced I can see or hear something, just checking to see that the cat is still dozing rather than yowling the house down gives me enough reassurance to fall asleep again. Sharing a bed with a cat has done wonders for allowing me to get some actually restful sleep again.Footnotes[1] Sleep paralysis

I was in tears at a table in a restaurant. I couldn’t stop crying. I was a blubbering mess. My partner and I were sitting there and I just kept crying and crying.I feel I should make the point that I don’t cry prettily like some people can with a single shimmering tear running down their faces in stunningly profound fashion. Nope. I get red faced and swollen eyes. Add the snot to that and it ain’t pretty.I was managing not to sob noisily but I had a continuous stream of tears running down my cheeks. I had to ask the waiter for more table serviettes. He gave me a long assessing look. I had to give him one of the those weepy red face grimace smiles to try to reassure him and he walked away reluctantly and then I returned to my moping.Unfortunately, about an hour before hand, we’d had to put our dog down. Zed (our dog) was 50 kilos of lovable dumbass but he had a cancerous growth on his hip that the vet said wasn’t survivable. He was in a lot of pain and couldn’t move without whining so we made the choice to end his suffering. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve done.I fled the vets assessment room just after the end while my partner continued holding Zed’s paw. We sat in the car afterwards and tried to get a handle on our sorrow and in my (questionable) wisdom, I decided that neither of us were in any condition to cook so we should just go to a restaurant.Our fat boy muttley - Zed.I was a mess. My partner had been upset but was holding it together in a stoic way but he had an extremely unhappy expression on his face. He’s also an absolute unit at 6.4′ so I guess he looks quite intimidating when he’s seriously unhappy.He was frowning.I was crying with my head downNeither of us were talking.Since I had my head down, I didn’t realize but people were shooting my partner killing looks and a variety of deathly glares until he nudged me out of my misery with his foot and did that head thing where you kind of point by motioning or jerking your head in a particular direction. I looked around and only just then became aware that we were getting a lot of attention.There were two ladies sitting right next to us and both were glaring at my partner. One gave me that nod - the silent “are you OK? Do you need help?” while the other continued to shoot gimlet looks at my innocent partner.There was another couple down and to the left who were urgently whispering to each other while motioning at our table while others were watching silently but carefully. I realized that I’d inadvertently given people the completely wrong message.So I announced at the top of my voice that we’d just had to put our dog down. I watched all the tables around us relax and even the waiter kind of let out a relieved breath and two things occurred to me.Perhaps heading to a restaurant in that condition hadn’t been my brightest idea. “Food to go” would have been the smarter option.Even though my partner is a hulk, people who (wrongly) assumed that he’d been mistreating me were prepared to step in. People are awesome.It was a pretty basic misunderstanding involving quite a few people which was solved by a single announcement.

So you have to love the attention you get from dogs, pity people cannot learn from it.This little guy and am sure yours crys for attention when you get home. How does yours greet you? I am a simplistic person with little friends but my best friend who God gave me shows the love I so much strive to attain to achieve.Just bought a new sofa and Willy is crowning it already does he look like a king?When I get home from work my dog is beside himself in excitement to see me. This could be just after an hour, but the meeting response is always the same, loud yelps and jumps up to get affection. Dogs are loyal friends even if you are mean to them. Their caring nature is natural on dependence how they are brought up.I sometimes ignore him and you can see the disappointment in his little face as he goes and sulks in the corner.AAlways at my side.But when bedtime comes and he knows my nightly ritual when it is time.As soon as I jump into bed even with my wife on the other side he will push those covers with his snout and paws and bury himself under and head to the back fold of my legs and plant himself there.My dog is a small Bijon Frise so he takes up little room but he only does it to me. Never once has he done this to my wife.They say Man's best friend and it seems to be that type of relationship with my dog.He is laying on the couch right next to me as i am typing this. Comment on what your best friend does to greet you and don't break their hearts.He is always near me where I go but is also the protector when needed to guard my grandkids and can even warn me getting too close.There are times he does bad things but overall that look of loving overtakes all, with that loyalty and dedication to being part of our family.A Dog is for life through good and bad just like a marriage. Accept what is to come and roll with the punches.I am just an average writer here and not very popular. I will do my best to answer a question even though it is against my belief. I see this platform as a way of helping others and if you are just average in your mindset There is someone who thinks otherwise.UPDATE.Willy just got a haircut today what do you think?Waiting at the window on return.Stephen Donohoe