We give thanks.

I am thankful.  Not just because it's the time of year where some holiday tells us it is so.  Not because we sit down with friends or family to reconnect. Not because it's the time of year where we justify our consumption of too many calories and too much wine. Not because my real job seems to be going well despite some difficult clients. Not because I'm not burdened this year with looming thoughts of "how much longer will my Buffy be with us?"

I am thankful for being married to my best friend.

I am thankful for two beautiful Shetland Sheepdogs: one who was our "sunshine" in an otherwise dark time; another who remains perpetually happy, that his ever-present joy is contagious. They both have mended a wounded heart. They make me smile every day.  Words cannot express how thankful I am for their unconditional love and undying devotion. 

My Gus.  21 November, 2016. 

I am thankful for wet slobbery kisses...and dog hair...and paw prints...and high-pitched Sheltie barking..and nose prints on windows.  I am thankful for being awakened by cold noses at six am on a Saturday because certain little furry beings can't distinguish the difference between a weekend and weekday. 

I am thankful for being allowed a small sliver of a mattress -- even in a king sized bed -- because my dogs staked claim to the mattress' larger portion of real estate. I am thankful for the privilege of contorting my body in uncomfortable yoga-like positions around those contentedly sleeping Shelties, because they look so peaceful in their slumber that I really can't bring myself to wake them. 

Henry at McLane Park, Poplar Bluff, MO.  20 November 2016.

I am thankful for long walks on cold blustery days...and bundling up like the Michelin Man just to see my Shelties smile. I am thankful for small victories in agility.  I am even thankful for the frustrating moments, too. Because I'd rather have frustrating moments with my dogs than no moments with them at all.

Henry and his new pal, Zar'n.  Cooper Park, Springfield, MO. 22 November 2016

Most of all, I am thankful for all of life's subtleties that turn out not to be so subtle. The universe has an uncanny way of surprising us.

It seems twice now, fate has led us not only to wonderful experiences, but wonderful people as well. Who knew that -- nearly a year and a half ago -- a random post about canine cancer in Facebook's The Wonderful Sheltie led to an online friendship which was cemented into reality the past twenty-four hours? Marylanders visiting Poplar Bluff...meeting in Springfield...with an Oklahoma friend...and a side of Shelties making memories to last a lifetime. I'm certain the remedy for the rampant negativity on the internet is bearing witness to a dog -- or in our case, five -- playing.  Living in the moment, their only cares:  running, toys, and friendship. And in that same moment hugging someone who -- until now -- has been such a special friend online that it seems impossible you've only met in person just once.  Kindred spirits are found in the most random places. 

I am thankful to meet those people who relish the fact that dogs do, in fact, smile beautifully and communicate their every emotion by the look in their eyes.  

And I'm thankful for friends who share in our joys, sorrows, and adventures. Who love and appreciate their dogs the way we do ours.  When I posed the question: "What are you thankful for? (when it comes to your dogs)," I received responses which warmed my heart:

" I am thankful for the animals in our lives, because no matter what you're going through, they need you (feed, water, let out, etc.). During some very dark days, they were the reason I got out of bed. They keep me going!"  - Tabitha Liebrecht, Washington State.

 

"They never call out sick, take vacation, complain about the hours, ask for a raise. They are gentle enough to console the inconsolable and brave enough to die protecting you." - JoAnn McDonald, Maine.

 

"I am thankful that they teach me to be "present." They live for the NOW, and remind me every moment that "Nothing is more important than this day." Goethe wrote that, but, it took my dogs to let me understand what it meant." - Diane Patterson, Connecticut.

 

"I am thankful that they somehow know when I am sick or sad, they know to snuggle when I need to snuggle and they know how to act goofy to get me to smile." - Joyce Lee Harden, Maryland.

 

"Somebody to talk to on those late nights when nobody else is around. That just stay with you as you get the job done into the late of night to let you know that you're loved. Nothing better." - Allan Jacks, Pennsylvania.

 

"On the agility course, at a therapy visit, in life: my dogs show me what matters: a moment of joy at the end of a run, an elderly person cuddling and whispering a secret to a furry friend, a hike in the beautiful woods, just us, or playing ball in the yard. My dogs make my life matter." - Loisann Huntley, Connecticut.

Gus - post "family-visit". November 20, 2016 in Poplar Bluff, MO.

And as I sit here thinking about things for which I am thankful, my eyes get glassy and my heart is overwhelmed with happiness. In two small precious beings -- those now present and those two I've lost -- I've been taught more about life than I ever realized. Perhaps I hadn't been paying attention enough to realize it. Perhaps I've just not been introspective enough. After all, grief can be all-consuming, and puppies are so exhausting that I hadn't really stopped to sit. I hadn't stopped to think.  I hadn't stopped to realize that there's just something magical about living in the moment, because those seemingly subtle happy times in a single moment are not really subtle but significant. 

Nothing is more important than this day. And, I am thankful for the privilege of realizing that random road trips and internet friendships brought together by our common love for dogs has taught me more about being "good people" than I ever knew was possible.