Day 377
This is our little slice of paradise! Today, we took a quick moment on the dock and simply enjoyed the view. All hands (Mac, Katie, Asher and myself) were exhausted after moving beds and furniture from point A to point B and then some! Our amazing friend, Tom (Handyman Extraordinaire), has been working hard to make this small cottage perfect for all of the two and four-legged MacKechnies!
We decided our first requirement was to keep the pups safe. Hence, a large fenced in area with numerous gates for access to the lake and buildings was constructed. The very first time we took our seniors up to romp in their yard, Ranger found a spot where he could jump from the retaining wall and access the lake!!! Tom was on that the very next day!
Next, came sleeping kennels, cushy beds, water bowls, life jackets (for the dogs!), dog food containers...the list is endless! These pups are loved and we want to make sure their happiness and safety are secured!
Safety and security are something we all crave for our loved ones. Although we can't always be there OR prevent accidents when we are present, we try to cover all of the bases to keep everyone healthy and protected.
There have certainly been moments in my life when I believed all was well and, suddenly, something beyond my control happened. Asher fell off his scooter, Lilly tumbled off a curb, Mac tripped over a dog bone or any number of occurrences I could not control transpired right before my horrified eyes! However, as hard as I try to smooth the rug out in every instance, when something happens, my guilt jumps into overdrive and beyond. It might be my German/English/Swedish genetics, or my propensity to empathize and fix things, but I often place blame on my own shoulders...even when I couldn't prevent whatever happened.
Perhaps this knee-jerk reaction is only a personal one, but I predict others do the same thing. In my rational times, I tell myself that there is only so much a person can do to make sure the safety and health of loved ones is secured. However, when an incident happens, I swing right back into guilt mode.
We tend to shower so much grace and forgiveness on those around us. Why is it that we do not give that gift to ourselves? Our inner self would be much more at peace if we could only be kinder to the person within. That is a goal for me every day, but it often gets pushed to the back burner. It is still a goal!
The fence is up, the life jackets are ready, the water bowls are clean and the dog food is on the shelf. It might just be time to take all four Goldens up and see what happens! There's only one way to find out, but if just one of them breaks a nail, it will be my fault!
