Day 437

Sam is doing well after his surgery last week. We were advised to keep him calm, no walks, 24 hour cone and NO exertion. As a puppy parent, I have failed miserably!

Our youngest has an incredible amount of energy, so post-surgical instructions seemed to be written for some other dog...not our Sammy! To be fair, he was somewhat calm the first day or two, but after that, all bets were off! My new parental goals were to keep him from running, jumping, flipping around in the air and to place barriers between Sam and Gus at all times. I wasn't even 100% successful with those aspirations!

Day 10 post-surgery finds us meeting somewhere in the middle. The "Cone of Shame" only appears when we are not able to watch him, shorter walks have ensued and every attempt is made to keep him from running. (Tell that to the rogue bunny in the backyard!).

Restrictions have never been my forte either. I was once seen RUNNING around Walt Disney World with a walking cast and it didn't even slow me down! However, meeting in the middle, like Sammy and his walks (I get exercise and he gets rid of some of his Zoomies!), can be a win/win for both parties involved.

Whether it is compromising at work, splitting the difference in a relationship issue or finding common ground while raising children, it can be beneficial for both parties.

The older I get, the easier it is to take a breath and find solutions where everyone is happy. When I was younger, my mind hadn't stretched enough to embrace the give-and-take that works almost every time. Friendships become closer, marriages seem to be more grounded and there are fewer tantrums from children when people compromise. An added benefit might just be a calmer life!

Sam, on the other paw, is unable (or unwilling) to meet in the middle. That's OK though...I may have to go WAY over the center line of compromise, but his cute, adoring eyes make it worth the struggle!