There is a place and a time for all things. Yet, so often, I want that place and that time to be of my choosing, not someone else’s or even nature’s or the universe.

Being patient, taking care and allowing what is present for someone else to also be present in our shared space is one of those great lessons of having a fur-child that just keeps repeating itself, again and again

Last night, was tough for Beaumont. My back has been out since last weekend. My head says, stay still. Beau says, keep moving. I did not want to get up and go for a walk, even though the evening was so gorgeous. Beau didn’t give up on me and in his persistence, reminded me once again about the most important things in life, love and living.

Lesson 1

Be patient, persistent and stay optimistic.

There’s nothing like a dog sitting on the floor beside you, eyes peering steadily at you, body alert and still, while you’re lying on the couch feeling sorry for yourself. Beau reminds me to get up, get moving and stop feeling sorry for myself. And he never gives up until I get up and give him what he wants. Which is gernally always — A walk.  We both win from that one!

Lesson 2

Have fun

Having fun is not an interlude from life. It is part of life. Just like with work or any endeavour, it’s important to take time to stop and breathe. And if you happen to be playing with someone else, like your best friend Spirit, when you get over-excited (or forgetful about your manners (really Beau, that’s Spirit’s ball), you gotta take a break. Otherwise, like with so many things, fun becomes not so fun and then, fun’s all over!

Lesson 3

Don’t sweat the hot stuff.

Baby, it’s hot out there, chill out. Put your feet up, sit with your feet in a bucket of cold water, or better yet, run into the shallows at the river’s edge and splash! Splash! Splash! Splashing about is fun, and who cares if the floor gets wet and muddy when you get home? That’s why they invented mops.

Lesson 4

Not everyone’s business is your business.

Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. Not everyone wants to have their butt sniffed, especially the cat when she comes to visit. Back-off and give people (furry friends too) their space.  In that space there’s lots to discover about eachother that will make the relationship so much more fun and enriching! (Like who wants to chase. Who wants to be chased. Dogs intuitively know without getting all caught up in who’s who at the park).

Lesson 5

Begin again

This one’s from puppydom but still holds true today. When you make a mistake, don’t get all bent out of shape. Begin again.   Like when Beau was a puppy. Just because it hadn’t happened for awhile, didn’t mean he was all house-broken, especially in new and different spaces where other doggies were present. Or like when there’s a bone or a toy in your bed. Be kind. Be compassionate. (Remember Lesson 1) –  Clean up the mess, move the bone off the bed and begin again. Enough said.

Lesson 6

Life is a Gift. Live it Up!

This is the most important lesson Beau teaches me every day. We only have this one life to live right now, don’t waste time dragging yourself through the past or worrying about what the future will bring. The present is in the now and the gifts of being present are filled with bounty and abundance. Be grateful for all you have. Count your blessings and share them with abandon. Your world, and all the world around you, will be richer for your willingness to live right now on the wild side of being alive!