My little furry child turns three this week which made me feel A. really old and B. honored to have been the person to give her a home. I remember driving into the middle of nowhere and entering the sketchiest trailer house just to take a look at the dog I may or may not want since I really wanted a corgi. I remember seeing Dixie who was the size of my hand, covered in fleas and looking like she had never had a single kibble before but all she wanted to do was bounce around and play. I fell in love that second and I could not love her more. In the almost three years I have had the privilege of having her be a part of my family, I realized how much she has taught me.
Don’t allow your physical size to stop you from doing anything.
Dixie is four pounds but she thinks she is the Mufasa of dogs. She doesn’t allow her size to restrict her in anyway whether that be eating a hot dog that isn’t much bigger than her to letting german shephards everywhere who’s boss.
The importance of listening.
Granted, Dixie can’t talk back but I think we have a bad habit of not listening to understand but listening to respond. Sometimes, all someone wants is for someone to listen and that is something dogs will always do better than us.
Always use your voice.
Even though she cannot speak English I know exactly how Dixie feels about me coming home late, about another dog who comes over and pees by her tree, and if there is a sound that I should be concerned about hearing. She does the best she can to communicate with me by growling, barking, howling, grunting, yapping and whining. We are blessed to have the ability to communicate with each other, take advantage of this.
Be excited and appreciate the little things.
When I first open the door and allow Dixie to run outside, she radiates happiness. She has to smell everything and check on every tree/bush to make sure they are the same as the previous time she was out. This usually annoys me as I’m just wanting her to pee but then I start looking at the world how she must see it. A huge place- where she gets to run wild (for a few minutes) feeling the wind in her fur and the sun on her face. I know I take those feelings for granted so by examining the world through her eyes for a moment, I’m reminded how beautiful the world is.
Forgiveness
No matter how many times I have come home late or accidentally shut her up in another room, Dixie always forgives me. I never know if she understands how horrible I feel when I step on her paw but she seems to have a slight idea since she snuggles up to me and rubs her face on my face every time after. We all make mistakes and don’t always to our best but that doesn’t mean we aren’t trying to do better or that we don’t care. Forgiving others and ourselves is an essential part of growing.
Love & Friendship
Last but not least, Dixie is my little person. She has stood by my side every single day even when I look homeless, even when all I can do is sneeze and cough, and even when I yell at her for pooping on my clothes. She has been there through everything and has never left. She is the perfect example of unconditional love and support that we should all aim to be for another person. Dixie doesn’t judge, all she knows is that I’m her person and she loves me. The other stuff, it just doesn’t matter. What does matter is our relationship. She makes me a better person. I push myself to do better because of her. I will take her over a baby all day, every day because she doesn’t smell like cookies and dirt! (It’s a joke, no disrespect to anyone who likes the miniature drunk people)
Go hug your dog today!
