Thursday, August 1, 2013

She is a little thing...

Soft and furry.
 Her eyes were once bright and didn’t miss a thing.
 Cataracts and a stroke have blinded her.  She doesn’t seem to care. 
 She wanders the house, bumper-car-like, pinging off of chair legs and anything left on the floor.
 She tries to exit the house through the sliding glass door.   It takes her a few tries.   She jumps and bumps and jumps again.
 The ping-ponging continues as she wanders across the patio trying to find the grass.    Landscape rocks and patio furniture are no deterrent for her determination.
 The other day I was re-filling the treat jar.
 After I finished the task, I almost stumbled over her.
 There she was.
 Sitting and looking vaguely in my direction.
Waiting.
 
 Just waiting.
 She just knew that somehow in her blind universe a treat was going to materialize.
 She didn’t know where it was going to come from.
 She couldn’t see who was going to give it to her.
 She.
Just.
Knew.
I held the treat down to her and said, “Here, Belle.   You are a good girl.”   She took it immediately from my fingers, ate it and wandered off.
 Geez.
Geez.
I feel like I really might need to get more of a life when I find myself taking philosophy lessons from a little blind dog.
 But her attitude really hit me between the eyes.
 Yes.
 She is a dog.
 But, seriously.
 She’s not sitting there with no hope, whining about things in the past.
 She’s not dreaming about what might be tomorrow.
 She is just sitting there.
Patiently.
 Knowing that even though she ran into the rock and the kitchen chairs earlier, something better might be coming now.  
  She makes me think. 
There is no point in yearning for past days and past relationships and for the times when you felt like you could see everything clearly.
 
...
 Yes.
 She is a little thing.
 Soft and furry.
Her eyes were once bright and didn’t miss a thing.
 She is a good dog.
 And she reminded me of something I really, really need to remember.
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25 comments:

Janie Junebug said...

Dogs are brilliant and so is your post.

Love,
Janie

GardenOfDaisies said...

Your Belle is a sweet little love bug. Our pets can teach us so much, if we just pay attention.

storybeader said...

what a nice tribute to your furry friend. {:-D

Jeanie said...

Aww Jenny, she is bound to have learned along the way some of what she knows from you.

Bookie said...

Beautiful but sad too. I had two dogs who went blind and deaf...so so sad for me....

Slamdunk said...

Powerful message Jenny--thanks for sharing.

It is difficult to see our friends go through this, but it is admirable how you can see things from a different perspective and translate it into meaning for your own life.

Melinda said...

What a cutie!

These things are hard to
remember sometimes.

:o)

Ms. A said...

Some of the best lessons are learned when you least expect it.

You sure made me miss my sweet babies, who also taught me a few lessons along the way. *tear

Annesphamily said...

Oh what a beautiful story! My grandmother who was my BFF forever lost her sight when I was age 8! She passed away when I was in the 6th grade. Oh I still miss her, she was so kind, so courageous, a true role model. Your little Belle is a sweet pet. God Bless her for her kind heart and patience! Hugs Anne

Terra said...

Ah, perfect trust and faith. Jesus calls us to have that, and your little dog is a teacher.

Esther Joy said...

Beautifully said, Ms Jenny!

Gail said...

Well said and filled with sadness as the time approaches to let her go.

Rita said...

Animals can teach us such profound lessons. They always live in the present moment--and accept that fully. :)

pasqueflower said...

Another wonderful post. Thank you.

Arkansas Patti said...

I can so relate to this post. Mighty has only one good eye right now and that one is cataract clouded. You are so right. Dogs are the master adjusters. Mighty still knows that fast blurry thing is a rabbit and off he goes in slow motion pursuit.
Dogs don't over think and am pretty sure they don't have a self pity gene.
Bless you for not giving up on the sweet baby.

Theresa said...

Sometimes lessons come to us in the strangest ways:) Sweet pup! Have a blessed day dear friend, HUGS!

Susan Anderson said...

Thanks for passing her lesson along, Jenny.

=)

Rocky Mountain Woman said...

Oh now you've made me miss my sweet old boy...

he was such a good dog, blind as a bat for the last few years of his life, but happy to smell and hear me come home every night..

great post!

Short and Sweet said...

Oh my, Jenny! You really know how to tug at my heart!! Dogs are so comforting.

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Oh my! Jenny, you and sweet Belle have just taught me a lesson! thank you!

Linda

Amy said...

Isn't it amazing how life lessons can come from the smallest surprising things? What a sweet dog. How hard it must be to watch her blindly and happily pin ball thorough life.

Busy Bee Suz said...

Oh my gosh....I love this post and I love her determination. She is living life...no matter what.
XOXO

Sue said...

You remind me not only of a life lesson, but of our sweet Nike. She has been gone over a year now and you brought it all back.

Pat Tillett said...

Very bittersweet!
So touching Jenny!


Granny used to tell us that "a nod is as good as a wink, to a blind horse."
I know that quote is always attributed to the band Faces, but granny was saying way before that album came out.

Unknown said...

all I can say is awwwwwwwww.
do you still have Oscar too?