I loved this book.
Secret? Diana has read it many times. Most evenings we read together before we go to sleep. We read P & P together last summer.
So, I knew all along that Wickham was dastardly and Mr. Darcy a night in shining armor.
So, I knew that Lizzy and Mr. Darcy would be together in the end. I knew that they would see the best in each other and give each other a second chance.
But I didn’t know how to think about each of them in my terms until I figured out that some humans enjoy dogs and play fetch really well and others, well, others just don’t.
How well a human interacts with dogs and how willing they are to play fetch constitute the basis of my First Impressions. Lizzy probably does like dogs and would play a really good game of fetch. At first, I didn’t think Mr. Darcy would like dogs or play fetch and I probably would have ignored him. My loss, because now I think he would be top notch. Best ever.
True character isn’t always revealed when you first meet. I can come across as a bit barky and opinionated at first. I am, but I am also loving, kind, a bit of a mooch, funny, terrible at playing fetch and really good at playing tug-of-war.
If you only met me once, say at a dinner party or while I was at the Vet, away from my comfort zone on the sofa, you might not have a very good first impression of me either.
Sometimes the key to fully blossoming into relationships is to be open to change and new interpretations on how life is and accept that you might not know everything.
Being a rescue dog, I have the first part down. I have lived change. Every now and then home, warmth and family becomes a shelter, coldness and strangers.
I’m still working on the second part - the accepting that I might not know everything part. Thankfully, my story isn’t completely written.
