Any of you who have had the privilege of having a dog as a member of your family know what a wonderful and amazing impact they have on a person or a family. Here are three life lessons I have learned from our seven year old doggie, Max.
Unabashed Enthusiasm
There is nobody that gives us such an enthusiastic greeting every time we walk in the door than Max. Even when our kids were little, we didn’t get this kind of unabashed and joyful greeting. Max wags his whole body, jumps up, and tries to lick us and then runs to get his favourite squeaky toy which he then trumpets around the house like an announcement, “They’re home! They’re home!” This happens if we return from a quick errand or a week’s vacation.
Lesson 1: Show your enthusiasm and appreciation for your loved ones. Next time someone you care about comes in the door see if you can find a way to show you are happy to see them. Hugs, kisses, handshakes, smiles, and warm words can mean a lot to them, and will most likely be returned to you. Of course, you can try the wagging and jumping too, it works for Max.
Relax and Rejuvenate:
Max never misses an opportunity to take a nap. He has napping stations all over the house, his favourite usually in a sunbeam. He monitors our every movement as we go about our day and knows when we have settled into a task (like me writing this article) that will allow him to curl up for a snooze. He takes a deep cleansing breath and drops into a nice sleep.
Lesson 2: Like Max we always have our radar on, monitoring our pack. We tend to use the intervals where things are calm to get a task done. What if we chose to take a quick power nap instead? Study after study has shown that sleep deprivation is one of the leading causes of weight gain, diabetes, etc. How helpful are you to your pack if you are suffering with lack of sleep or related ailments?
Enjoy The Ride:
Have you ever asked a dog if he wants to go for a ride or a walk? Talk about excitement! Funny thing is he is never sure of where he is going, but he enjoys the ride. On walks he takes time to stop and smell the … ummm well, you get the picture. On a warm day he loves to stick his head out the car window and feel the wind in his fur, ears flopping.
Lesson 3: We don’t always know where our life will take us. All we really have control over is this moment in time. We can skim over all of the moments trying to “get there,” or we can enjoy the ride—life if about the journey, not the destination.
Max has been such a huge source of joy in our lives. His unconditional love and exuberance inspire us to be better humans.
