Dog Star

This summer we welcomed a lab puppy into our family. We named him Moe.

This is the first time in my life I have been able to truly watch a puppy grow everyday and be in the moment with him. Oh, and he is growing so fast! He went from 17 pounds to 55 and climbing in four months.One day he was all round and pudgy and the next day his hind end was higher than his head. A week later the opposite was true. Each day he made more and more discoveries about the world around him and we both rejoiced in them. (He recently discovered he could no longer jump up into my lap without me falling off the chair.Oops, too big!)

Bella has taken it upon herself to be his "mom." She guides him every step of the way from the proper place to "do his duty," to the proper way to walk on a leash. She does not allow him to chew shoes or furniture and quickly puts a stop to what she considers any "inappropriate puppy behavior." As a result, my role in training him has been miniscule and the 2 dogs have established an incredible bond.

What have I learned from this? (Oh yeah, there's always something, so here goes.) Let nature take it's course and live in the moment.

Bella did not worry about what Moe would do next. She allowed him to just be. She dealt with things in that moment and then, most importantly, immediately let it go. Her corrections were brief and to the point, then both dogs continued playing or walking or whatever. Moe did not take it personally. It just was and then it was over. Point taken and on to the next thing.

Can you imagine what it would be like to live this way, not worrying about the future and not dwelling in the past? There would be so much empty space in your brain you would not know what to do. Wouldn't that be glorious? We can do it. We cannot control the future, so why worry. There is nothing we can do about what happened in the past so move on. What is most important is what is right if front of us this moment.

Being in the moment is one of the greatest lessons these guys have taught me. It is a wondrous gift. So in this moment, as I write this, I will watch them sleep in the autumn sun. I will breathe in the clean fresh air. I will watch the leaves float down and the acorns bounce at my feet. I will listen to the birds' song mix with the Bach's Prelude in C drifting through the open window. I will not worry about all the things I have to do tomorrow, the bills I have to pay, what I will make for dinner or what winter may bring. I will savor every second of this moment and I will just BE.