Two weeks ago, John-Mark and I flew to Lubbock, Texas, to select our first puppy together. In a week, I get to go pick her up. We’ve decided to name her Eden—after both the paradisal garden and Eden Peak (she is part Bernese Mountain Dog, after all). To date, we’ve only spent an hour and a half with her, but we already find ourselves speaking glowingly of her easy-going temperament, her quiet, trusting demeanor, her loving looks. She has yet to shred her first roll of toilet paper, or textbook, or slipper—yet to soil her first carpet—but in our minds, she can do no wrong.
We have high hopes for Eden: we trust she’ll grow into her name and become a therapy dog, certified to visit and bring joy to whichever hospital or practice John-Mark ends up working in. Updates will be forthcoming, but for now, welcome to the family, little Eden!
Natasha (Strydhorst) Unsworth (‘16) is a science communication researcher and practitioner working on her Ph.D. at Texas Tech University. Natasha hails from Calgary, Alberta. Some of her favo(u)rite authors are C. S. Lewis, Francis Collins, and Bill Bryson. Her favourite earthly place is the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and her favourite activities are reading and enjoying the great outdoors—preferably simultaneously.
