If Today Was My Last Day on Earth

Posted by Barbara Techel

If Today Was My Last Day on Earth

If today was the last day on earth where would you want to be?

I’ve heard that question on and off over the years. I thought about it again today.

And this is exactly where I’d want to spend my last day. Right here at home, on my deck with my Prince Charming, Kylie and Gidget. This is, without a doubt, my happy place – my sanctuary.

When I got up this morning, I opened up the patio doors and could here the birds singing. Summer is in full swing and it is absolutely glorious.

My heart burst with contentment and joy as I thought about how much I love my life. And it’s truly all the simple things that make my heart sing.

Flowers blooming, birds chirping, Kylie and Gidget snuggled in their favorite spots, the quietness of the morning, the hum of a lawnmower in the distance, birds splashing in the bird bath, the smell of fresh air.

Life is good.

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Frosted Face: Aging Gracefully

Posted by Barbara Techel

frosted muzzle

Raindrops fell this morning as I sat next to Kylie looking out the front door, her fur extra soft after she dried off after being out in the rain earlier this morning.

Every now and then I notice a little more frosting on her face, slowing spreading to all corners of her still puppy dog look.

She is so beautiful. Frosting becomes her, as I think it does all dogs.

There is a lesson here — to embrace our own sprouts of gray, too.

Yesterday afternoon I noticed our neighbors taking down their gated trellis that had been there for years. I always loved when the gate was open — as if an invitation to a secret garden.

Standing near the lot line I said to my neighbor, “Oh no, no more gate?”

“No. It was getting rotten and encroaching on the tree.”

“I’ll miss seeing the gate open.”

“It’s getting old just like the rest of us,” she said.

I felt this heaviness as I smiled and walked into my backyard.

I’ll be 52 next month and my neighbor is only a few years older than me.

Wait a minute, I thought. I’m not getting old. I’m choosing to age gracefully.

With that shift in choosing my thoughts I felt lighter and empowered.

And as I sat in stillness with Kylie this morning, oh, what a precious reminder she is of just that.

To embrace all the gifts of aging gracefully.

The gained wisdom.

The freedom to stand in one’s truth.

The slowing down.

The taking in of what really matters.

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Blue Ribbon Heart Dog

Posted by Barbara Techel

Blue Ribbon Heart Dog

Kylie and Gidget

Gidget is the third dachshund with special needs that has come through our doors. Kylie has loved each one of them.

Almost ten years ago we got Kylie from a breeder in Tennessee. She is an English Labrador – the true breed of the lab, with the square head, bushy tale and stocky body.  I still remember traveling there 3-weeks before Christmas to bring her home.

She was a big ball of super soft fur with the saddest face I’d ever seen. She wasn’t really sad, it was just how she looked — and still looks today — and I think her face truly expresses how deeply she loves.

And oh, how I had it all planned out. She was to be my therapy dog that would visit nursing homes and hospitals. I wanted to find a way to share the love of a dog with those less fortunate after my chocolate Lab, Cassie Jo passed away.

Then Frankie, my first dachshund became paralyzed and if you’ve followed my blog for awhile – well, you know how that story all turned out — it was a beautiful ride.

But Kylie — always in the background through everything. All she has endured with how busy my life was with Frankie and then when I brought home Joie, my second wheelchair dog after Frankie passed away.  And now Gidget.

Through it all she has thumped that big ol’ tail of hers for each little misfit that has come through our door. And she has taken them under her webbed paws and loved them with all her heart.

If I could look inside her, I bet I’d see the biggest heart one could ever see inside a dog. And if there were saints among canines, well, I’d have to say she would be one.

At times, I’ve carried guilt that she didn’t get to be a therapy dog. Perhaps she would have been a good one if I’d have had the time to devote to helping her achieve that.

But in her own way she did turn out to be a special therapy dog – to ankle high wiener dogs who have loved snuggling in her soft coat of strawberry highlights — and pestering her by licking her black lips, which she has never ever really seemed to mind.

And everyday when I rise for the day, open the bedroom door and see her lying on the over-sized maroon chair in the living room, her face with just a bit more frosting, well — that there, my friend, is one of the finest therapy dogs who brings a smile to my face every single day.

It was all meant to be. And if I could award Kylie with a blue ribbon, I indeed would and it would say:  To the best dog sister and friend in the whole wide world.

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