THE JOURNEY
When you bring a pet into your life, you begin a journey. A journey that will bring you more love and devotion than you have ever known, yet will also test your strength and courage. If you allow, the journey will teach you many things, about life, about yourself, and most of all, about love. You will come away changed forever, for one soul cannot touch another without leaving its mark. (This is Abigail, formerly Amy, who is with her
sister, Bridget.)
Along the way, you will learn much about savoring life's simple pleasures -- jumping in leaves, snoozing in the sun, the joys of puddles, and even the satisfaction of a good scratch behind the ears. If you spend much time outside, you will be taught how to truly experience every element, for no rock, leaf, or log will go unexamined, no rustling bush will be overlooked, and even the very air will be inhaled, pondered, and noted as being full of valuable information. (This is Chloe-- taking a snooze!)
Your pace may be slower, except when heading home to the food dish, but you will become a better naturalist, having been taught by an expert in the field. Too many times we hike on automatic pilot, our goal being to complete the trail rather than enjoy the journey. We miss the details: the colorful mushrooms on the rotting log, the honeycomb in the old maple snag, the hawk feather caught on a twig. (This is Jazzy. She has lots of energy, and she is burning some of it off playing with Zack, who her family just adopted.)
Once we walk as a dog does, we discover a whole new world. We stop; we browse the landscape, we kick over leaves, peek in tree holes, look up, down, all around. And we learn what any dog knows that nature has created a marvelously complex world that is full of surprises, that each cycle of the seasons bring ever changing wonders, each day an essence all its own. (This is Chloe, my sister's dog. They live next door. Chloe puts up with all the Pekingese who bark at her through the fence.)
Even from indoors you will find yourself more attuned to the world around you. You will find yourself watching: summer insects collecting on a screen; how bizarre they are; how many kinds there are or noting the flick and flash of fireflies through the dark. You will stop to observe the swirling dance of windblown leaves, or sniff the air after a rain. It does not matter that there is no objective in this; the point is in the doing, in not letting life's most important details slip by. (This is Brutus, who is still looking for a new home. He is 12.)
You will find yourself doing silly things that your pet-less friends might not understand: spending thirty minutes in the grocery aisle looking for the cat food brand your feline must have, buying dog birthday treats, or driving around the block an extra time because your pet enjoys the ride. (This is Beth-- Wylie, Lily and Missy's mom. She is also foster mom to Ju Li and Katrina.)
You will roll in the snow, wrestle with chewy toys, bounce little rubber balls till your eyes cross, and even run around the house trailing your bathrobe tie with a cat in hot pursuit, all in the name of love. (And this is Wylie, Lily, and Missy's Dad! Look at him with all the Pekes. He's holding Missy-- she's a Daddy's girl.)
Your house will become muddier and hairier. You will wear less dark clothing and buy more lint rollers. You may find dog biscuits in your pocket or purse. You will learn the true measure of love. (This is Milo-- he's a new foster dog.)
The steadfast, undying kind that says, "It doesn't matter where we are or what we do, or how life treats us as long as we are together." (Here is Ania withYoshi at a recent art show. Is she giving you a big hug, Yoshi?)
Respect this always. It is the most precious gift any living soul can give another. You will not find it often among the human race. And you will learn humility. The look in my dog's eyes show such joy and love at my presence. (This is precious Lacy. She is the sweetest girl-- all snuggled up in her pink bed.)
She saw not some flawed human who could be cross and stubborn, moody or rude, but only her wonderful companion. Or maybe she saw those things and dismissed them as mere human foibles, not worth considering, and so chose to love me anyway. (Janey was adopted this year and is doing GREAT in her new home. She goes to her mom's pet supply store occasionally and gets to pick out new toys.)
If you pay attention and learn well, when the journey is done, you will be not just a better person, but the person your pet always knew you to be. The one they were proud to call BELOVED FRIEND. (And look at sweet Bernie-- I think he's trying to give us a kiss!)
When you bring a pet into your life, you begin a journey. A journey that will bring you more love and devotion than you have ever known, yet will also test your strength and courage. If you allow, the journey will teach you many things, about life, about yourself, and most of all, about love. You will come away changed forever, for one soul cannot touch another without leaving its mark. (This is Abigail, formerly Amy, who is with her
sister, Bridget.)
Along the way, you will learn much about savoring life's simple pleasures -- jumping in leaves, snoozing in the sun, the joys of puddles, and even the satisfaction of a good scratch behind the ears. If you spend much time outside, you will be taught how to truly experience every element, for no rock, leaf, or log will go unexamined, no rustling bush will be overlooked, and even the very air will be inhaled, pondered, and noted as being full of valuable information. (This is Chloe-- taking a snooze!) 
Your pace may be slower, except when heading home to the food dish, but you will become a better naturalist, having been taught by an expert in the field. Too many times we hike on automatic pilot, our goal being to complete the trail rather than enjoy the journey. We miss the details: the colorful mushrooms on the rotting log, the honeycomb in the old maple snag, the hawk feather caught on a twig. (This is Jazzy. She has lots of energy, and she is burning some of it off playing with Zack, who her family just adopted.)
Once we walk as a dog does, we discover a whole new world. We stop; we browse the landscape, we kick over leaves, peek in tree holes, look up, down, all around. And we learn what any dog knows that nature has created a marvelously complex world that is full of surprises, that each cycle of the seasons bring ever changing wonders, each day an essence all its own. (This is Chloe, my sister's dog. They live next door. Chloe puts up with all the Pekingese who bark at her through the fence.)
Even from indoors you will find yourself more attuned to the world around you. You will find yourself watching: summer insects collecting on a screen; how bizarre they are; how many kinds there are or noting the flick and flash of fireflies through the dark. You will stop to observe the swirling dance of windblown leaves, or sniff the air after a rain. It does not matter that there is no objective in this; the point is in the doing, in not letting life's most important details slip by. (This is Brutus, who is still looking for a new home. He is 12.)
You will find yourself doing silly things that your pet-less friends might not understand: spending thirty minutes in the grocery aisle looking for the cat food brand your feline must have, buying dog birthday treats, or driving around the block an extra time because your pet enjoys the ride. (This is Beth-- Wylie, Lily and Missy's mom. She is also foster mom to Ju Li and Katrina.)
You will roll in the snow, wrestle with chewy toys, bounce little rubber balls till your eyes cross, and even run around the house trailing your bathrobe tie with a cat in hot pursuit, all in the name of love. (And this is Wylie, Lily, and Missy's Dad! Look at him with all the Pekes. He's holding Missy-- she's a Daddy's girl.)
Your house will become muddier and hairier. You will wear less dark clothing and buy more lint rollers. You may find dog biscuits in your pocket or purse. You will learn the true measure of love. (This is Milo-- he's a new foster dog.)
The steadfast, undying kind that says, "It doesn't matter where we are or what we do, or how life treats us as long as we are together." (Here is Ania withYoshi at a recent art show. Is she giving you a big hug, Yoshi?)
Respect this always. It is the most precious gift any living soul can give another. You will not find it often among the human race. And you will learn humility. The look in my dog's eyes show such joy and love at my presence. (This is precious Lacy. She is the sweetest girl-- all snuggled up in her pink bed.)
She saw not some flawed human who could be cross and stubborn, moody or rude, but only her wonderful companion. Or maybe she saw those things and dismissed them as mere human foibles, not worth considering, and so chose to love me anyway. (Janey was adopted this year and is doing GREAT in her new home. She goes to her mom's pet supply store occasionally and gets to pick out new toys.)
If you pay attention and learn well, when the journey is done, you will be not just a better person, but the person your pet always knew you to be. The one they were proud to call BELOVED FRIEND. (And look at sweet Bernie-- I think he's trying to give us a kiss!)
2 comments:
A big hug to all your doggies on the blog today - all are doggy stars!!!!
Loved the pics on the blog today:) I especially loved Chloe laying upside down on her bed...Newmie and Drizz do that and for the life of me I cannot understand how they are comfy!
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