Jack & Oscar

I miss Jack and Oscar.  Riding along the greenway yesterday, seeing dogs who had been swimming in the river reminded me of my gentle big boy who loved to swim and did so any chance he got, whether or not I agreed.  This afternoon, driving by my neighbors and seeing their giant Great Dane standing the front yard reminded me how much Oscar loved playing with big dogs and never missed an opportunity to explore and make new friends.  Today, I am at a coffee shop and I know both of them would have loved sitting in the warm sunshine with me and basking in the attention their adorable selves always brought.  

They taught me more about life and myself than I ever thought possible.  There were rough years when I didn’t have an identity.  I didn’t know who I was.  Liking myself was something I had to learn to do but loving myself?  Well, that seemed impossible.  They showed me true love at a time when I didn’t know what that was.   They were the embodiment of God.  Here are some things I learned during my time as the leader of their pack:

·Everyone deserves to feel love.

·A good cuddle makes everything better.

·Never pass up an opportunity to explore.

 

·Do what makes you happy.

·Listen more than you talk.

·Don't be afraid to open yourself to others.

·Be patient (with yourself and others). 

·Know your boundaries but never be afraid to push them.

 

   ·Know who your true friends are and keep them close.

·No person or animal is alike.  Get to know them for who they are and meet them where they are, not where you want them to be.

·There is a reason behind how people and animals behave.  If you can’t   understand the reasons, be willing to look for them. 

·It's okay to be lazy sometimes.

·Figure out your God-given gifts and use them to help others as much as possible.

 

·Whenever possible, ride with the windows rolled down.  If it messes up your hair, that’s even better.

 

 ·Showing love doesn’t require education, money or fancy words.  All you need is to be present.

·Sometimes having fun means getting dirty.  Cleaning up afterward isn’t always pleasureable, but it is worth it. 

 

·Think outside the box.

 

·Be brave. 

·Fight for who and what you love.  

·Approach everything with enthusiasm.

·Sometimes you have to use your heart instead of your head when making important decisions.  Sometimes it is the opposite.   Figuring out which to use can be gut-wrenching.

·You need to be able to take care of yourself before you can take care of someone else.

 
Being their human was sometimes a struggle, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.   My heart hurts without them but I know it only means it is preparing itself to love another furry soul, one day when we are ready for another dog.

The Purse

My husband surprised me with a fabulous little purse the other day.  It is the cutest little casual traveling/weekend purse.   I saw it in Gander Mountain the other night and told him “I want this!!!” like I do with a lot of things, but I never anticipated him buying it.  I never buy things like that on impulse and hate spending money on myself.  If it doesn’t come from Goodwill or TJ Maxx, I have a difficult time justifying its purchase.  Okay, even purchases from TJ Maxx require serious consideration.  There is a reason why I blare "Thrift Shop" when it comes on the radio; that song is my jam!  After we arrived home, I saw the purse laying on the couch and was absolutely shocked.  My very sweet (and sneaky!) husband managed to purchase it without me even knowing. 

This simple little purse is causing me to rethink some things.  When I tried to transfer my belongings from my giant “work” purse the next morning, I discovered I had to leave several things out and was forced to pack only the “essentials.”  The frustration of deciding what made the cut caused me to throw everything back into the larger purse before heading off to work.   All day, as I reached into my purse for various items, I kept asking myself “What is truly important?  Why do I need all this stuff?” and came to this conclusion: I weigh myself down.  I carry all this unnecessary “stuff” around because it makes me feel secure but in reality, it just weighs me down.  Those bills that have been in my purse for days should be taken care of at home and payments sent ahead of time so I don’t find myself rushing to pay my water bill at the last minute because I forgot.  Again.  Do I really need that many lipsticks?  I rarely wear lipstick, so wouldn’t it just make more sense to keep them at home and pick ONE to carry with me when I get ready in the morning?  That would require me to think things out, which is something I don’t take the time to do in the morning.  Do I NEED to carry such a large wallet?  If I bothered to inventory and file my receipts on a regular basis, then no. 

All these questions point to an underlying issue – my lack of organization and preparation.  Now that I am aware of just how crazy things have become and how my lack of consideration and preparation affects my life, it is time to take action!