Thursday, March 9, 2017

Living life like a dog

I read recently that people should live like every day is Saturday. I'm not convinced. The morning might begin with sleeping past 6:30 a.m. and fresh brewed coffee, but the rest of the day it's go, go, go. My Saturdays are filled with grocery shopping, driving to the dump, housekeeping, laundry and bill paying as well as shoveling, raking, mowing and picking up dog poop in my yard. (Full disclosure my wonderful husband usually picks up the dog poop.) And when my kids were younger we added a host of scheduled events like girl scouts, t-ball, soccer practice, birthday parties and recreational basketball games. In general, my Saturdays are more like running on a hamster wheel than a good example of me living mindfully. If I lived every day like it were Saturday, I'd be an exhausted wreck.

Oh, but if I were a Chocolate Labrador Retriever living with my sister, I'd live every day like its Saturday. My sister's dog's name is Lucky as in --cue the baby talk-- "Who's a Lucky Dog?" All the human members of her family work and/or go to school full time; but not on Saturday. If the sun has risen and the people are still in the house – then it must be Saturday—time to party!! And this beautiful pup knows how to celebrate the weekend. Lucky's day will include some morning stretching, two walks (at least one in the woods), play-time with her family and naps.
This is Lucky Dog!

Dogs can be really mindful creatures. They live dedicated to the moment; whether they're chasing squirrels or enjoying a good belly rub. Lucky Dog is no exception. She greets everyone with love. She looks in your eyes and listens when you talk. She sits quietly on your feet when you need connection. And she acts like she's won the lottery when you give her a dry biscuit. So when things get chaotic I remind myself to strive to enjoy life like Lucky Dog on a Saturday; stretch, go for a walk, play with my family and maybe take a nap.


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