What is the best purchase you have ever made?
The best purchase I ever made was our first dog. We were newly married and living in Lismore on the Northern Rivers. One day we looked through the local paper and saw an advertisement for border collie puppies on a farm near Kyogle.
We drove out and were given the pick of the litter. The whole brood came running towards us, but there was something about Jessie that stood out. She was not a pedigree dog. She cost us $45 and came straight off the farm, where both her parents were working dogs.
The $45 was only the beginning. Over the years there was food, vaccinations and vet bills. There were no toys. We never thought of buying them, and boutique pet stores were not really a thing in those days. There was no special bedding either. Jessie made the lounge her own and slept under the house at night.
Next door lived a blue heeler called Blossom. Blossom would jump the fence to play with Jessie. Jessie never seemed to work out that, if Blossom could jump the fence, she could probably jump it too. She simply waited for Blossom to arrive.
The neighbours were very patient with us. When Jessie was very young, we put her in the laundry at night. During the first week she would wake three or four times, crying. We took turns nursing her back to sleep. We later discovered that she had been waking the neighbours as well. The following weekend we went in search of a kitten. We put the two of them together in the laundry and never heard another sound. They grew up as great friends.
Jessie was fascinated by movement. There were plenty of birds and butterflies in our area, and she spent much of her day racing around the backyard chasing their shadows.
She was a beautiful dog and lived at full speed for fifteen years. Then one day she had a heart attack. We cared for her as best we could over the next few months, but she was getting weaker. At the same time, we were preparing to move house. The morning before the move, I had to go out early to run some errands. Before leaving, I told her to wait until the vet opened. She did not make it. By the time I returned, she had died on the back doorstep. I have always believed she knew a move was coming and knew she could not follow into our next home.
We had paid $45 for a puppy, but what we received could never be measured in money. Jessie taught patience during the sleepless first week. She brought companionship to your household. She formed a friendship with a kitten and with Blossom next door. She filled the backyard with movement. Finally, she taught us something about ageing, loyalty, loss and letting go.
She was the best $45 we ever spent.
The Afterword 
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