God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen.
--Reinhold Niebuhr
"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But, if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything."
---Muhammad Ali

"We are driven to create at this deep wordless level of the soul because we are all fashioned in the image of a God who is an Artist." - Michael Card, Scribbling in the Sand.

Monday, January 07, 2008

A friend shared this with me today and I wanted to share it all with you:

A DOG'S PURPOSE FROM A SIX YEAR OLD

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Bozo. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Bozo, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Bozo and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Bozo, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience the next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Bozo's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time , that I wondered if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Bozo slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Bozo's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Bozo's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."


Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day , be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.


My Layout for Day 7

4 comments:

Til said...

Boy if we could live our lives as a dog does it would be heaven right here on earth! Thanks for sharing. I see some resolutions in that for 2008.

Unknown said...

Jane...i love your recent layouts!! Love that size...!!! Thank your comment on my blog...and don't feel bad, you don't have to comment all the time! I know you care. xo

Linda said...

Love this post about dogs, so true.

Dee said...

Love the dog poem Jane. I just forwarded it to mey Mom.

Your recent LO's are awesome! WOW.