Lessons from My Dog

I know there is a book idea about what I've learned from my dog. Perhaps this will Chapter 1. Roxy is my first dog. I had dogs when I was growing up, but she's MY first dog. She's now 11 and she is dying of kidney failure. She's been dying now for about 6-months. She's not in pain. But she is rib-bone thin and sleeps 90% of the day. I decided when we first learned that she was sick to bring a little joy to her life every day. I started to take her to a little park not far from the house. She knows when she is going there. As soon as we pull into the parking lot she starts to make urgent moaning sounds to get out of the car. As soon as her feet touch down she wiggles with excitement and heads down the now familiar path at a trot. My other dog Kayleigh follows her. Side by side they run through the undergrowth, leap over branches and bound over rocks. They are happy and joyful.

I've learned from Roxy how important it is to have happy moments every day. A walk in the woods - even a 15 minute walk - clears your mind, brings you back to nature and provides much needed time to experience the moment. One small moment a day makes all the difference.