It’s no secret that the past months have been filled with world-changing, life-altering chaos because of COVID-19. But, if we all stop to smell the roses – or pee on them, there’s a lesson to be learned from our canine companions — gratitude.
Like many other humans, I’ve been furloughed from my job. Normally, I prefer the company of my dog, Marbles, but after being off for a couple of weeks and following the governor’s safer-at-home order, I’ve gotta tell ya – I miss people. Actually, I miss MY people, the things I took for granted, and well, everything. As much as I need time to recharge, I need to be able to have the time out in the world to expend some energy or else I’m going to wither.
Dogs are the same. I see that now. One of the greatest responsibilities we have in taking care of our dogs is exercise and stimulation, getting them excited about exploring places beyond the four walls or their house or their fenced-in backyard. But, sometimes life happens, and we can’t get them out to sniff and explore as much as we’d like. What’s so brilliant about dogs is that even though they sometimes may wish for more time outside their normal confines, along with more table scraps and a few more snuggles from their humans, they still have this beautiful underlying gratitude for what they have now – a soft, comfy bed, a new toy they have to rip the squeaker out of or that Busy Bone.
Taking that to heart, sitting on the couch, petting my fur babies and enjoying a chick flick for the 37th day in a row ain’t that bad.
Written by Guest Blogger: Sue Olson
