Another Day, Another Life Lesson from My Dog

Let your four-legged friend be your teacher.

So, there I was. Sitting behind my desk, computer in front of me, phone on my right and coffee on my left. As I was staring into the screen, thinking about the future, stressing about the little things, there she was. Enjoying the moment of the life that was given to her.

My dog is her — I’m talking about my dog.

Recently, it’s always either raining or snowing, the cold temperatures never leaving. It’s not unusual for Autumn, but this day was different.

The sun came out after what seemed like forever, and for the first time, you could sense the spring coming. There was warmth in the air, blue sky and the gentlest warm breeze appearing from time to time.

For a quick moment, I looked through the window, and found myself unable to look away.

My small dog was sitting in the grass in our backyard, nose to the air, eyes closed, soaking up as much of the warm sun as she could.  Completely enjoying the rareness of the day. Completely enjoying the moment.

Many pet lovers will find it relatable when I say that my first impulse was to take my phone and take dozens of identical photos of her; you know our phones are full of photos of our little friends — and rightfully so, they are the cutest!

But this time instead, I enjoyed the moment with her and took a mental photo of her and this special feeling of warmth that will stay with me forever.

Watching her find joy in such a small thing put a huge smile on my face.

At that moment I thought about how ridiculous it is to stress about the things that were and the things that may or may not happen.

At that moment, without even thinking, I took a break and went to enjoy this rare appearance of sun with her. Best 30 minutes spent in a while.

So, the lesson: be present in the moment. Enjoy the rare beauty of now. It’s these small moments that make life beautiful.

This isn’t the first time, however, that I learned something valuable from her. And I hope this magic never stops.

Aren’t our bellowed animals incredible? They can teach us small things about life and simply living every day — if we only let them.