The average dog has one request to all humankind. Love me.

~Helen Exley

 

My beloved Maggie, my Golden Retriever has obviously NOT been keeping up with the daily news. She remains blissfully unaware that we are immersed in a political campaign that is highly more effective at making people laugh on Saturday Night Live than actually solving the world’s problems. She does not know that for some people, my great grandmother’s advice of saving our money under mattresses and in sock drawers is starting to sound like sage advice indeed. She does occasionally cock her pretty little head from side to side if people start to have conversations that take on a worried tone and will be happy to come up to you to lick all of your troubles away and let you know that there is still plenty of fun to be had out here.

She will be happy to frolic and run with you, jump through her hool-a-hoop, show you her outstanding collection of stuffed animals that she proudly carries all over the house and if you are interested, will engage in a playful game of tug-a-war.

She is much more interested in the idea that company will come and visit, that the birds will stop by the bird feeders in the garden and that her primary job of keeping rabbits out of the vegetable garden is well done.

Maggie is happy every single day. Blissfully, joyfully, simplistically grateful for a bowl of food, children to play with and the honor of being by my side. ( Pretty exciting, I know) She doesn’t seem to yearn or strive for the things that wait off in the distance, tempting and taunting the rest of us. She has everything she needs.

She has love. She has family. She has food. She gets to work some everyday and play some everyday.

And she gets to take a nap whenever she wants one.

Simple? For a dog maybe.

For us? It’s harder, but it can be done. If we can’t live our entire life living the life of a dog, can we take little Maggie breaks? Can we squeeze in little non-worry moments to turn off the world in our heads and just play, focus on the simple wonderful things that life is still offering in the middle of the daily storm? Can we find the fun? Do we remember to look?

Can we schedule in time for a nap or time for tea or time for meditation?

One thing that Maggie is great at every day is balance. I could learn a lot from my dog. She runs around like a nut, giving everything her entire focus, energy and attention. Then she is done. She just stops. Time for A REST. She doesn’t look guilty about it either. She just goes and lays on her blanket and checks out for awhile. Then she comes back fully restored, happy again to give it her all.

She spends ZERO amount of time thinking about the bad stuff. Only about the things in her world that she can control. Worry doesn’t bog her down. She is too busy looking forward to the next fun moment up ahead. As long as we are going to be around to play and hang out, all the world is good for her.

I think she has her priorities in order.

I’m off for some playtime and then…maybe a nap.