The small short hair terrier was clearly happy and content. As I walked by, he turned and looked looked up with a wagging tail, twinkling eyes, and a smile. As I introduced myself, the welcome morphed into fun playful excitement! His perfectly brushed hair, clean smell, and wonderfully friendly disposition would melt the heart of anyone who likes and appreciates dogs.
As we played on the elevator ride up, several reminders played out in my mind and in the moments we shared.
Animals reflect their environment. When treated with respect, kindness, and informed care, they are healthy, often friendly, and most of all at peace with themselves and the world around them. When something is missing, with the gap filled by a lack of care, stress, and overall discontent, ugliness follows.
Everything in this dog’s life was in the immediate. While I have seen him from a distance on occasion, I had never introduced myself. For practical purposes, I was a stranger and yet within seconds I was anything but. His care giver laughed and smiled along with us. Everything that mattered was in the moment at hand. The past was just that, in the past. The figure was an adventure waiting to unfold. All the mattered was now; playtime.
I am sure he had his ugly moments, although I struggled to imagine the scene. Everything that I knew and had experienced with him screamed of happiness, hope, and possibilities. It was as if he was responding to an old cry; “Let wilderness turn cartwheels, animals, come dance, put every tree of the forest in the choir.” (Psalm 96.12) Because of his actions, I left the elevator on my floor with a smile on my face and lightness in my heart.
In the cool beginnings of a new day I wonder what stops me from living along the same lines. Totally in the moment, using my freedom to share compassion, caring, and acceptance. Today, I will meet the familiar as well as the stranger. I hope each is infused with the same hope and living excitement.
