Day 211

12/12/22

We are a house of dog kennels! I always feel better when the puppies are in their "safe houses" at night (Lilly and Ranger have free reign to choose a doggy bed or couch in the bedroom). During the day, Sammy is in an extra-large kennel whenever we leave the house. One of these kennels is in the living room (should he care to watch Dog TV) while the other graces the kitchen (should he want to be near his beloved Gus). All are BIG, intrusive and necessary for the Goldens' well-being.

Just the other day, we upgraded Sam's sleeping kennel to the next larger offering. He is much like a snail. We started out small, morphed to medium and now have graduated to large. Since he needs to see his Mama during the night, it is pushed up to my side of the bed. This arrangement leaves little space for passage to the bathroom, as I discovered this morning.

As I passed between the kennel and the table on my way to brush my teeth, I knocked into an arrangement consisting of a small tray, ceramic jar of money and a small bowl filled with loose pearls from a broken necklace. THE ENTIRE THING CAME CRASHING TO THE GROUND! Ushering anything with bare paws out the bedroom door, I began cleaning up the mishap. What a mess!

As I picked up the pieces to the ceramic jar, I lamented its passing as it was obviously broken beyond repair. Looking at the wording on the side caused me to take pause and think about the meaning.

"Unanswered Prayers"...I have had many of these elusive beasts in my years here at the Big White House on the hill. Thinking back to some of my most desperate pleas, I realize that something much more precious often appeared in the stead of those unanswered prayers.

As we "grow long in the tooth" (older for those of you who have never heard the dog analogy), we gain wisdom and strength. Whether we want to or not, we learn to accept disappointment and turn our "unanswered prayers" in a new direction on life's road. Embracing the new path on our journey so often turns out to bring us more joy and satisfaction than we had ever hoped for when we thought our own dreams were necessary for happiness.

"Unanswered Prayers" (Garth Brooks, 1991) is certainly worth a listen. It gives me comfort in this ever-changing world where hopes and dreams seem to shift on the breeze.