Lady and daily walkMy dog Lady and I have a morning ritual. For the past 6 years or so we have taken a daily morning walk. We head out on the crappiest day or the most beautiful day – it doesn’t matter to her. And here is what I’ve learned…

  1. That routines are comforting – They give you a sense of order and normalcy to the world. When I’m stressed and we take our walk it calms me down. It brings me back to the now.
  2. To stop and smell the roses – Yes it’s cliche, but I can’t tell you how many times I started our walk in a rush with my face in my phone thinking “let’s make this quick so I can get back to x, y, or z”. But Lady will have none of that – this is her walk and she’s going to take her time and “smell the roses”. So she forces me to stop and appreciate the nature around me. To listen to the song birds, to smell the blooming honeysuckle, to observe the changing seasons. It’s a good thing and I have learned to take a deep breath, slow down, and appreciate the beauty around me and forget for a moment what seemed so urgent.
  3. To meet new people – I’m not an extrovert, in fact I can be very shy as well as introverted, but when you have a dog who has a wag and smile for everyone she meets it forces you to get out there and say “Hello” to strangers. In fact she has several houses that stock dog treats and if their garage is open and they are out side, you can bet she is going to trot on over to say “hello” and I will join her.
  4. That time is fleeting – Most days Lady and I stop and pick up my Dad and his dog Muffin. For now, my parents live down the road from us, but soon they will be moving to a retirement community and our walks will no longer be a foursome. I will miss this time with my Dad and Muffin and Lady will too in her way.

I don’t know how much longer Lady and I will have for our walks – she is about 12 now. I’m actually surprised some days that she can even make it with her ever worsening arthritis, but for now we continue on and I am grateful for all the walks we have had.

What has your dog or pet taught you? Do you have any rituals with your pet? Share them below in the comments, I’d love to hear your story!