1 REALLY GOOD STORY, THE JOURNEY!!!
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When you bring a pet into your life, you begin a
journey, a journey that
will bring you more love and devotion then you have
ever known, yet also test your strength and courage.
If you allow, the journey will teach you many things,
about life, about
yourself, and most of all, about love. You will come
away changed forever, for one soul cannot touch another without leaving its
mark.
Along the way, you will learn much about savoring
life’s simple pleasures
jumping in the leaves, snoozing in the sun, the joys of puddles, and even
the satisfaction of a good scratch behind the ears
if you spend much time outside, you will be taught
how to truly experience
every element, for no rock, leaf, or log will
go unexamined; no rustling bush will be overlooked,
and even the very air will be inhaled pondered, and
noted as being full of valuable information. Your pace
may be slower -- except when heading home to the food dish—but you will become a
better naturalist, having been taught be an expert in the field.
Too many times we walk on automatic pilot, or goal
being to complete the trail rather the journey.
We miss the details- - the colorful
mushrooms on the rotting log, the honeycomb in the old maple snag, the hawk
feather caught on a twig. Once we walk as a dog does,
we discover a whole new world. We stop; we browse the landscape, we kick
over leaves, peek in tree holes; look up, down, all around. And we learn
what any dog knows: that nature has created a marvelously complex world
that is full of surprises, that each cycle of the seasons bring everyday
an essence all its own.
Even from the indoors you will find yourself more attuned
to the world around you.
you will stop to observe the dance of windblown leaves,
or sniff the air after a rain.
It does not matter that the is no objective in this; the point is in
the doing, in not letting life’s most important details slip by.
You will find yourself doing silly things that your
pet-less friends might not understand: spending thirty minutes
looking for the dog food brand you canines must have, or buying dog birthday
treats, or driving around the block an extra time because your
pets enjoy the ride. You will roll in the snow, wrestle with chewie toys, bounce little rubber
balls until your eyes cross, and even run around the house trailing you bathrobe
tie --- with a cat in hot pursuit --- all in the name of love.
Your house will become muddier and hairier. You will wear less
dark clothing and buy more lint rollers. You may find dog
biscuits in your pocket or purse and feel the need to explain
that an old plastic bag adorns you living room rug because your cats love
the crinkly sound.
You will learn the true measure of love --- the steadfast
undying kind that says, “ It doesn’t matter where we are
or what we do or how life treats us
as long as we are together.” Respect this always. It is
the most precious gift any living soul can give another. You will
not find it often among the human race.
And you will learn humility. The look in a dog’s eyes
can make you feel ashamed. Such joy and love at my presence.
They see not some flawed human, who could be cross and stubborn,
moody or rude, but only their wonderful companion.
Or maybe they see those things and dismissed them as
mere human foibles, not worth considering, and so chose to love
us anyway.
If you pay attention and learn well, when the journey is
done, you will be not just a better person, but the person
your pet always knew you to be --- the one they were
proud to call their beloved friend.
I must caution you that this journey is not without pain.
Like all paths of true love, the pain is part of loving. For
as surely as the sun sets, one day your dear animal will
follow a trail you cannot yet go down.
And you will have to find the strength and love to let
them go. A pet’s time on earth is far to short --- especially
for those that love them. We borrow them, really, just for a while,
and during these brief years they are generous to give us all their love,
every inch of their spirit and heart, until one day there is nothing left.
The cat that was only yesterday a kitten is all to soon
old and frail and sleeping in the sun. The young pup of
boundless energy wakes up stiff and lame, the muzzle now
gray. Deep down we somehow always knew that this journey would end.
We knew that if we gave our hearts they would be broken.
But give them we must for it is all they ask in return.
When the time comes, and the road curves ahead to a
place where we cannot yet see, we give
one final gift and let them run on ahead – young and
whole once more. “God speed, good friend,” we say,
until our journey comes full circle and our paths cross again.
Submitted by 45
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