Day 173

11/3/23

I was thinking about a list in my book, "Becoming Brave". Written during the pandemic, it seemed an appropriate topic to ponder. It centers around Gus and his favorite teddy bear friend joining forces to face their fears.

My Goldens have all had unreasonable fears. As I think back over all five of our pups, their concerns all centered around a lack of understanding.

Each one has dealt with the trepidation of thunderstorms. Recently, Ranger and I were walking when we both heard a rumble of thunder in the distance. I held my breath as I watched my boy and pictured myself carrying him home over my shoulder after he refused to move. Well, that scenario never played out. He glanced up at the sky and returned his inquisitive nose to the next tree. Hmmm...

My conclusion was that in the house, the noise came from an unknown source. Outside, he couldn't see anything threatening, so it didn't frighten him. I safely checked it out with the others. They basically had the same reaction. The researcher within me decided my hypothesis was correct. They feared the unknown!

Perhaps, facing and embracing fears and uncertainties can help all of us take a step towards bravery. When the Goldens went outside and couldn't find the source of their fears, they chose to be brave.

I learned a big lesson from those pups. Unreasonable fears, with no evidence of a real threat, are a waste of time, energy and positivity. Working on that lesson will take time, but "Becoming Brave" is worth the effort!

Now, my next lesson probably needs to center around knowing enough to come in out of the rain!