Day 807

Expectations are REAL with my Goldens! Over at Walker, we were between visits and walked by the dining area. In the past, dear Kari (from the kitchen) has rushed out to bring Lilly a couple pieces of fresh bacon off the grill. Lilly has not, does not, and will never forget that kindness! Today, she actually attempted to plant her feet up on the snack bar to get Kari's attention back in the kitchen. It worked! A number of staff began to laugh at her antics and calls for the "Bacon Goddess" could be heard throughout the second floor! Miss Lilly got her bacon!

Expectations can lead to disappointment in life's journey. "Don't count your chickens before they are hatched" has long been an adage of mine. If you don't count on certain prospects coming to fruition, you don't face disappointment. If Miss Kari hadn't appeared, Lilly had already 'counted her chickens' and would not have done well with that outcome!

However, expectations can be a very good thing when aimed in the right direction! If you expect to be successful, chances are you will work towards that goal. If you anticipate a wonderful event or trip, that expectation can bring excitement and joy. If you expect your Golden to walk past the "Bacon Buffet" without a slab...that is not a good thing!

We have expectations for others in our life as well. There are a handful of individuals, in my nucleus, who have never once disappointed me. They are treasured and my trust in them is deep and abiding. There are others who have broken my trust more than once and I no longer have expectations for those people. You just need to know which ones fall into which camp. I have found you can love someone and not place your own expectations on them...and that is OK.

Taking it one step further, loved ones have expectations for us as well. Some of those expectations are unreasonable and barriers must be set to protect ourselves. Others simply hold us accountable to be the best we can be.

Once again, why can't we all be more Golden? It is pretty easy to fulfill their expectations in us! They are so trusting and their lives revolve around "walks," "playing in the yard," "Tummy Time," "being near us" and "BACON!"