So About Dogs....

My loyal dog watching me write

I have this crazy, shelter-rescue, pit-bull mix, happy-go-lucky dog. She came into my life at the perfect time because as some wise internet meme once said, “I have a teenager - therefore, I have a dog so at least someone is happy to see me at the end of the day.”

And happy she is. When I get home she runs up with her tail wagging and jumps up with pure joy and excitement at seeing me….or maybe just at the prospect of dinner. Whatever the reason, it’s a much more joyful greeting than the grunted, “hey” I get from the aforementioned teen.

And she’s taken to bringing me presents. Luckily it’s only been a dead thing one time (and even more lucky I wasn’t home and the grumpy teen had to figure out a way to get the dead bird out of the house…which somehow involved him throwing out an entire wastebasket….). Her favorite thing to bring me are avocados that fall from the tree in my backyard. She leaves them in places where she thinks I’ll find them, such as on my bed (Exhibit A) or the doorway to my room (Exhibit B).

Exhibit A Exhibit B

It’s so crazy and sweet that I can’t help but smile or feel happy, no matter what has happened that day. The thing is that dogs are always in the moment. And my dog can bring me back to the moment and back to the immediacy of a wagging tail, a good head scratch, or a happy tummy rub. She doesn’t care what happened in the news or at work that day, or that the dishes need washing, or that the laundry isn’t done. She just wants to be with me and spend time together.

We need this in our lives. It’s so easy to get lost in work, or the news, or social media, or the things we should do. Much like spending time with young children, dogs bring us back to the here and now and to the human connection between people and dogs. They love us unconditionally and can bring out our truest, best selves and bring peace, joy, and companionship to any moment.

Enjoy those moments. They are the real, true, connected moments that matter.