Day 75

7/27/22

For some time now, I have been battling our Gus on walks by the river. He will sit, stay and come (Good Boy!), but EVERYTHING seems to end up in his mouth. Rocks, sticks and undefined items (yuck) are picked up and then we work on the command, "Drop it!". We have not yet found success in that area! Typically, this is how it goes:

Gus and I are walking and enjoying the time together in nature.
Gus drops his head, raises it up and gives me a sly look.
Me: "What do you have in your 'Guzzler," Gus?"
Then, I insert my fingers to dislodge the item.
REPEAT

The other day, I finally decided to give him a toy to carry on our walks. Although not 100% effective, it cut down on our "Guzzler" interactions and I could resort to praise instead of battle.

We walked up towards home and ran into one of our amazing neighbors. Three of the kids from that family went to Belize on a mission trip and had just returned. Our young friend regaled us with stories of the beauty of the country, the children, the people and then went on to dig deeper into the experience.

He said (and I am paraphrasing here), "The people don't have much. Where we were, many of the residents had huts with blankets for doorways. They would pour out of their homes to greet us with joy and happiness written all over their faces. They had so little, yet they were so happy!"

As we parted and I sauntered home with my pup, I thought about what he had shared. Of course, saying they had so little was a direct comparison to what we have in our country. It was humbling for my neighbor and for me as well. We have so much and, sometimes, don't appreciate the abundance of gifts in our lives.

I looked down at Gus, who was ecstatic to have that toy in his "guzzler." His physical needs are met; he has a variety of toys and warm beds and he soaks in more love than he could ever crave. He never wants more (except treats) and his happiness is a companion he carries throughout his day. That smile says it all!

I know there is a saying that goes, "Please let me be the person my dog thinks I am." I am going to go a step further and say, "Please let me be like my dogs and find happiness in the gifts surrounding me...not asking for more."