Tiffany Painter

If you read my last blog, you learned about the rough start my family had with adding a dog to the family. I didn’t go into detail about the extent of the dog’s injuries, but it was pretty bad. Our poor, scared dog had to have a leg amputated because it couldn’t be saved. He had several large abrasions and several areas that needed stitches. Most of his long German Shepherd hair had to be shaved to allow everything to heal. Needless to say, he has not looked his best. Somehow, even with all of those injuries, he didn’t have any lasting internal injuries. More importantly, he seemed to want to live. The more care we provided, the more relaxed he got. He’s a dog who loves to be loved. He will lean into our touch and look across the room with his big eyes to get us to come sit on the floor with him. He enjoys being covered with a soft blanket and given a pillow to rest his weary head on. I hear you saying we are spoiling this dog, but I think he kind of deserves it. He’s curious about the two resident cats, but they give him his space and he is entertained watching them. He thought he was going to have to prove himself to the established dog, but they both were satisfied just going through a few acts of toughness – showing teeth, snapping at air, stealing toys – before they settled into a new friendship. Watching him struggle through everything this past month and come out the other side as a loving member of the family has taught me a thing or two. People have been saying life is hard lately, but I think life is always hard. You can either let that drag you down, or you can find a little piece of joy and let that lift you up. For my new dog, he has found some joy and started wagging his tail again. If he can do it after losing a leg and learning how to start life over again, I think I can find a way to wag my figurative tail, too.

11/20

what once stood so full
now stands empty before us
season to refill

11/23

enjoying the day
just hanging out at the lake
passing time with friends

11/27

when nap is so good
that gravity takes over
trying to hold on

11/28

thankful for mornings
golden sun pulling us on
new day filled with grace

11/30

another month gone
all the calendars ready
time to mark the days