This is invariably the first thing I see in the morning when I wake up. Zinnia is always ahead of me, awake and waiting for me to move or wake up. Then she wriggles her way up the bed, tail wagging, and gives me a bunch of licks on the nose or chin.

She is patient and considerate. She never moves or makes a sound until my eyes are open and I look at her. If I talk to Maria, she doesn’t move, she waits. She is remarkably considerate, and seeing her face in the glow of the morning sun is both reassuring and uplifting. You can’t make a dog like Zinnia; you can only appreciate one when it comes.