Day 647

Yesterday, our Lilly Girl was exhausted. but today we give equal time for an equally tired Ranger! We had the pleasure of reading to first graders at Oxbow this morning and it wiped this big Golden Boy right out! When he is truly exhausted, he finds the nearest bed, couch or dog pillow and collapses for a snooze. He deserves every snore!

Our classes today were charming with students offering wonderful additions to our discussion after the story. Children have such an innate kindness and today it was a shining light as we talked about the qualities of friendship. Ranger sits in each classroom while the book is shared and then gets some well-deserved love from the students before we move onto the next room. Today, he received one-on-one love from over 60 little fans. He simply stands there and wags his tail while the children pet, scratch, hug and snuggle our boy. He seems to enjoy every moment!

Leaving for the day, we encountered a wonderful classroom of 5th graders walking down the hallway. The teacher stopped and said she was one of Ranger's biggest fans, with his picture on her computer. She wondered if the class could say hello. I answered that it should be fine and then they gently descended on our Golden. All 25 or so gathered around and petted every part of the dog they could reach. Losing sight of his face for a moment or so, I checked the tail to make sure it was still wagging...it was. We left the building, walked to the car and Ranger jumped right in. I offered him a treat and then I blithely thanked him. With those big, brown eyes looking right into my soul, I stopped to consider what he had just done. I then started again and thanked him for his service, his kind heart, his patience and for simply being the loving soul he is. He looked right at me as if to say, "You are welcome, Mama. I am just being a good dog."

The second time I thanked Ranger today, the words came right from my heart. My appreciation was heartfelt and my hugs came from the same place. My "thank-you" was not simply habitual words, but an expression of raw honesty. My gratitude came from the depths of my being...and Ranger seemed to know it.

How many times do we thank someone for something out of habit. We are taught to be polite, but the phrase is used so often that it almost starts to lose its meaning. In my own life, I must say it over 100 times a day. I am lucky enough to be the recipient of kind deeds and I always thank the giver on a surface level. When someone holds the door open for you or they pour your coffee at a restaurant, a word of thanks might suffice. However, there are so many other times during the day when I should reach deeper and really FEEL the appreciation.

*Mac goes on my final walk so I won't be lonely.

*A little girl gives me a bracelet she has made just for me.

*A wonderful staff member has a box of treats for my boy.

*A neighbor offers to sell some old frames from my basement.

*A friend connects to simply send me good wishes for a great day.

*People comment on my WWG posts with the kindest words.

*Someone hands us a bouquet of flowers to brighten our day.

Just today, this list could go on and on, but my heartfelt response was more than the typical "Thanks"...it was more like, "Thank you for touching my heart." From now on, I am going to take a beat and allow my gratitude to flow out of my heart right into the words offered. Today was my "Aha Moment" with sweet Ranger and I will not take kind acts delivered in my direction lightly again. My’ thank you’ will be sincere and from the heart. If it's not, Ranger might not recognize my lack of depth, but Miss Lilly (Empath Dog) certainly will!