Lessons from my dog

I was reading a meditation this morning about taking cues from nature and animals. It fit in perfectly with some things I’ve been noticing lately. Just yesterday I was driving alongside a jogging path and noticed one runner running barefoot on the grass next to the path. It really made me pause and take a good look at how beautifully designed our feet and our bodies are and how well suited they are to move on the earth. We humans tend to complicate things–adding pavement, necessitating sneakers…we add layers of complexity to a world that’s pretty darned amazing out of the gate.

But anyway, this meditation also made me think of my dog, Kyrie. I often watch her and wonder just what she has to teach me. These are some of the lessons I’ve learned so far:

1. Get up, have a good stretch, drink some water and sit outside pondering the sky.–she does this every day.

2. Greet everyone like you just can’t believe they’re there.

3. Trust pretty much everyone unless they give you a reason not to.

4. And even if they break your trust or aren’t kind, give them another chance. Forgive.

5. Have someone in your life that makes you just want to leap around and dance every time they walk into the room.

6. When the thunder rumbles find a cozy spot and chill out.

7. Just take a good nap sometimes.

8. When you get to the woods move with complete delight, noticing every little thing.

I’m pretty sure she has even more to teach me. I’ll pay attention.