The Lesson I've Learned from My Grand-Pup
This past week, my daughter and her husband decided to pay us a surprised visit. They flew from LA, and arrived at our door, and brought along their adorable puppy. Hendrix is a papillon. It is a small, friendly, elegant dog distinguished from other breeds by its beautiful butterfly-like ears. Hubby and I were undoubtedly elated.
During their stay, Hendrix made himself at home. He followed me around the house and sat next to me. At times he placed his dainty head on my lap. Of course, I started to rub his neck; my heart flooded with joy. During the four days, Hendrix taught me a valuable lesson. Each time he sat next to me, it reminded me of our need to be loved and appreciated.
It intrigued me immensely to observe Hendrix's reaction each time he sat near me. What would happen if we treat all humans as well as we treat our pets? Would that make the world a better place?
I could not help but think about how we could all be better off if we took the time to treat others with respect, dignity, and love. It takes the same amount of energy to be kind as it does to be mean-spirited. Perhaps we can start small by making a concerted effort to do one act of kindness per day.
Society has made it easy to be self-absorbed. We want instant gratification, and in the process, we leave our humanity behind. It saddens me deeply to observe the toxic state of affairs in the world. I am so thankful my grand-pup helped me see how a simple act of kindness can elevate one's spirit.
I adopted a feisty little black Pomeranian from one of my students who came from Africa but broke up with his girlfriend could no longer keep Jazz. He bonded with me immediately. Since I kept it very warm in the house, when I was upstairs watching TV from the couch, he would lie on his stomach on the linoleum floor in the bathroom, but every couple of minutes would crawl out to the door opening and look to see if I was still there.
And then, when it got cooler, he did exactly like Hendrix and would jump up on the couch with me and hug my right leg until he got too hot and would have to go somewhere to cool off. Even though my partner fed him, Jazz spent most of his time under my wheelchair letting me know that I was the alpha dog in our pack.
I wrote the story of Jazz's tragic death here in this section. I have not replaced him. But if I did, I might consider a Papillon, because Pomeranians tend to be quite noisy and quick to anger to protect themselves from perceived danger.
All that aside, I found that a simple hug can remove all the pain I feel in my body in an instant. I seek hugs often from my partner and am honoring her on this Mother's Day for her mothering me as I revert to my childhood reluctantly. ;-)
Ron