To have a dog in your life is like having a friend, a doctor, an exercise partner, a taste-"tester", a protector, and a child. I grew up with cats and little, hyper, yappy dogs that drove me nuts, but somehow those little dogs still left a soft spot in my heart all the days they were here with us as well as after they died. I loved my cats...A LOT. In our home, cats reigned supreme because we just loved them so much. We spoiled them like crazy, which I believe explains why they lasted so long in life. They cuddled with us, gave us little licks on our hands here and there. They were independent when we wanted them to be, and of course, they were independent when THEY wanted to be. Particularly the latter, wouldn't you say? The dogs, on the other hand, though loving alike, were always very dependent on us. They were more into their humans than our oftentimes snooty cats. I have realized more and more over the years that dogs seem to be nearly human themselves. I mean, come on, how many rescue cats do you see jumping out of a military plane or sniffing the ground for drugs? Dogs love and crave to BE loved. Why people use them for evil to gain money is BEYOND me, and all I know is we reap what we sow...and that's all I have to say about "those" people.....
How is a dog a friend? It's a companion, that special someone who enjoys our company just as much as we enjoy it's company. How can a dog be our doctor (in a way)? Put it this way, if you have a bug bite on your leg, then put some peanut butter (or some other kind of food that is healthy for the dog) on the bite and let the dog go to town licking it off. It's amazing how quickly that bite goes away! Also, haven't you heard of those stories about animal heroes? Dogs can sense when there's a sickness in your body. They can sense when a woman is pregnant. They know when you're sad AND happy.
They're an exercise partner for you whether you are hiking in the mountains or swimming in a pool. They're a taste-"tester" because where are they when you're cooking? Right at your feet, waiting for you to "drop" something! They protect their humans. They know how to treat their humans better than their humans know how to treat themselves.They're your children when you either don't have any, or in many cases, can't have any. Think about it (granted this is a well-trained "normal" dog): they poop where they're supposed to, they eat on schedule, they go to their bed when it's night time, you have to take them to the doctor for check-ups, they get baths, you can play with them, discipline them (in LOVE, please), and (oy vay...) you can dress them up. The nice thing about them being your child is they don't talk back! They'll do whatever it takes for our love. How can someone NOT want a dog?
NEXT: Moving on
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
...live without manners
There's something to be said about manners, don't you think? They're one of those aspects of our lives that is either active, dormant, or totally dead. I love a good show of chivalry - someone holding a door open for a person, saying "thank you" and "excuse me", even cracking a smile. Manners are not one of those old-fashioned traditions people used to live out when they walked around town with dresses up to their necks, and top hats and canes shouting, "Cheerio!" to their fellow streetwalkers. They have everything to do with respect. Don't we all want to be treated with respect? Don't we all want to be acknowledged that our presence matters? I would certainly hope we would all say yes.
Greetings aren't the only types of manners that hold value, but even (dare I say?) holding in what I like to call "gaseous vapors" at the dinner table. Now belches, on the other hand, are actually considered a gesture of respect in some countries. I don't know if I could go so far as to say that, myself. I'm not really into hearing or smelling someone's eau-du-toilette scent while I'm trying to enjoy my macaroni and cheese or a sweet indulgence of chocolate cake. Sound gross? That's because it is. That's where manners come in to play to save the day!! So let's focus on manners as being innate or cultural. More than likely they are cultural. My mom raised me to keep my elbows off the table when I ate. Being an adult now, I still remember her voice in my head telling me to put my elbows down and sit up straight when I'm eating (I will admit, I tend to fall off the wagon at times). They are good qualities to have, they're not nit-picky, just ways of showing self-respect and dignity. Manners do matter.
NEXT: Dogs
Greetings aren't the only types of manners that hold value, but even (dare I say?) holding in what I like to call "gaseous vapors" at the dinner table. Now belches, on the other hand, are actually considered a gesture of respect in some countries. I don't know if I could go so far as to say that, myself. I'm not really into hearing or smelling someone's eau-du-toilette scent while I'm trying to enjoy my macaroni and cheese or a sweet indulgence of chocolate cake. Sound gross? That's because it is. That's where manners come in to play to save the day!! So let's focus on manners as being innate or cultural. More than likely they are cultural. My mom raised me to keep my elbows off the table when I ate. Being an adult now, I still remember her voice in my head telling me to put my elbows down and sit up straight when I'm eating (I will admit, I tend to fall off the wagon at times). They are good qualities to have, they're not nit-picky, just ways of showing self-respect and dignity. Manners do matter.
NEXT: Dogs
Saturday, February 26, 2011
...miss the wind
I should have written this post a week ago when it was actually very windy outside. A funny take on my title since I literally missed writing about the wind ON the windy day! haha :) And it hasn't been very windy at all since then! Nevertheless, I am still able to write about it because it is one of the wonders of nature that ministers to me so very much. "How can someone miss the wind?" Easy...by focusing on the messy hair, the papers flying away, the leaves or seeds flying off of a tree and into one's eyes. There may be a statement made such as, "Oh that wind!", but it's purpose can be missed. The wind is that healing mechanism God sends our way to remind us that there is reprieve for the faint-hearted. The wind is all around us to envelope us and give us a sense of security...the security that we are alive, and not just simply alive, but alive with a purpose...just like the wind. When it is hot outside, what do we love more than a cool drink to quench us? We love that wind, that breeze that brushes our faces, blows back our hair to cool our scalp, and relaxes us.
We know a tempest blow can cause such destruction that there is no turning back. The mighty wind is to be respected. It is part of nature. It is totally out of our control, yet we think we try to control it by holding up an umbrella or our hand to block it. We see the effects of the wind, we feel them, and fortunately, we can even smell them at times. I absolutely love when gushes of wind blow around me, and the paralyzing scent of a blooming jasmine stops me in my track. I can't get enough of it. I have to keep sniffing the air...sniff after sniff. The wind is my friend then, don't you think? One of the best, simple pleasures in life is looking out the window and seeing trees sway, colorful leaves glistening in the sun, and the only way you can see the fullness of the glisten is because the wind is moving them!
Have you ever stood at the bottom of a tall aspen tree in Autumn and looked straight up? I have done that. It was the most amazing thing. I just stood there, watching these little hands of yellow dance wildly back and forth, all around because the wind was, in essence, the puppeteer. I remember being at youth camp long ago and our campground was in the mountains. There was a big field we had to hike up to, and it was vastly open. My friends and I laid down in the grass, and I felt the breeze come through the trees across the field. I watched clouds move by so fast. The combination of the wind and those clouds made me feel the closest to Heaven I have ever felt. That's the wind.
NEXT WEEK: Oh, the beauty of a life lived with manners
We know a tempest blow can cause such destruction that there is no turning back. The mighty wind is to be respected. It is part of nature. It is totally out of our control, yet we think we try to control it by holding up an umbrella or our hand to block it. We see the effects of the wind, we feel them, and fortunately, we can even smell them at times. I absolutely love when gushes of wind blow around me, and the paralyzing scent of a blooming jasmine stops me in my track. I can't get enough of it. I have to keep sniffing the air...sniff after sniff. The wind is my friend then, don't you think? One of the best, simple pleasures in life is looking out the window and seeing trees sway, colorful leaves glistening in the sun, and the only way you can see the fullness of the glisten is because the wind is moving them!
Have you ever stood at the bottom of a tall aspen tree in Autumn and looked straight up? I have done that. It was the most amazing thing. I just stood there, watching these little hands of yellow dance wildly back and forth, all around because the wind was, in essence, the puppeteer. I remember being at youth camp long ago and our campground was in the mountains. There was a big field we had to hike up to, and it was vastly open. My friends and I laid down in the grass, and I felt the breeze come through the trees across the field. I watched clouds move by so fast. The combination of the wind and those clouds made me feel the closest to Heaven I have ever felt. That's the wind.
NEXT WEEK: Oh, the beauty of a life lived with manners
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