I've had a dog in my life for as far back as I can remember. There was Corky that caught fish in my mom's decorative pond, Lancelot that thought the malamute down the road was in love with his one-foot tall self, Jake who was captain of the boat and my heart - and now Tank and Jag, the dysfunctional brothers that make us laugh every day. I've stepped on their feet, tripped over them, ignored them in selfish moments, left them for hours, yelled at them, crammed pills down their throats, given them lettuce as a treat and taken them to the vet. And yet I can count on a grand greeting when I wake up in the morning or walk through the door after being gone thirty seconds to take out the trash. They cuddle with me when I cry, wag their hind ends when I smile and trust me when things get scary.
I can't say I've earned this royal treatment but that doesn't seem to be the point with them. They love me in spite of myself. Isn't that what we do as parents with our children? With our spouses? With true friends? We love them for who they are to us. We tolerate and learn from the part of them that doesn't quite gel with us. We accept them for all the things that make them uniquely them. This is about as close to unconditional love as we humans get. Canines are by nature loving, trusting and loyal. It comes freely and without reservation. They want us to be happy with them AND with each other.
Like all the animals in my life, these guys are teaching me every day how to be better, kinder, more genuine. I'm not a star student by any means but fortunately my teachers refrain from all harsh judgments and see potential in everyone. If gold stars were wagging tails, I'd have a million of them.
I can't say I've earned this royal treatment but that doesn't seem to be the point with them. They love me in spite of myself. Isn't that what we do as parents with our children? With our spouses? With true friends? We love them for who they are to us. We tolerate and learn from the part of them that doesn't quite gel with us. We accept them for all the things that make them uniquely them. This is about as close to unconditional love as we humans get. Canines are by nature loving, trusting and loyal. It comes freely and without reservation. They want us to be happy with them AND with each other.
Like all the animals in my life, these guys are teaching me every day how to be better, kinder, more genuine. I'm not a star student by any means but fortunately my teachers refrain from all harsh judgments and see potential in everyone. If gold stars were wagging tails, I'd have a million of them.
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