Dogs (and all animals for that matter) really do teach us so much about the simple moments in life.
My favorite part of each day is my early morning walk with my yellow lab, Kylie. When Kylie was a young pup I worked hard in training her to walk calmly by my side (not an easy task for a rambunctious lab). The diligence and hard work paid off. We often get comments from others at how nice she walks by my side.
Our walk is my morning meditation. It helps me to greet the day and appreciate all of nature around me. I take great delight in a butterfly flitting before me, a bird singing in a near by tree, a squirrel scampering across the street with a large nut in his mouth, the gentle whispering of the wind, and the rainbow of blossoming flowers. Kylie is very curious and she is usually the first to notice her surroundings, which causes me to be more aware.
Coming home after our walk I am hopeful for what lies ahead for the day. I take each minute as it ticks before me and live my best within that moment, which leads me to live a full day, which leads me to live my best life…
And all that through the observance of living life’s simple moments through the eyes of my dog, Kylie.
My Mom helped prompt this post because of a poem she wrote about her dog Charley and what she would miss if she were not waiting for Charley to pee. With her kind hearted permission, I reprint it below and thank her for her courage in letting me share it with others. I take pride in knowing my creativeness flows from her. I also share two pictures of sweet Charley, who I lovingly refer to as “Chuck.”
“The things I wouldn’t take time to see
If I weren’t out there waiting for Charley to pee
Patterns of shadows like delicate lace-
Dandelions standing so proudly in place
The glow of the sun where earth and sky meet-
The wind whispered song in a comforting beat
The bunnies and birds so busy at work-
Dear grazing near, ears on alert
The little inch worm on his way through the dirt
Diamonds left over from grass wet with dew-
Winking and flashing a colorful hue
As my soul awakes and my spirits revive-
I’m grateful once more to just be alive
For I’m now seeing “LIFE” as God meant it to be-
While I’m out there waiting for Charley to pee”
-Lynda Richardson
