Thankful for...your Friendship!

A recent picture of our pack...missing one.  Hard to go back to our favorite place the first time without our littlest member, Libby.  Although dogs live so beautifully in the moment, I do have to say I felt a sense of the dogs missing Libby as well.  Both Ezra and Alli collie stayed close by us. These two, close...our two adventurers right by our side?  Interesting.  Libby was always by our side, right with us as we walked and Ezra and Alli were the ones to sniff out the chipmunks and run ahead blazing the trail.  Did they feel the need to stay by us, to take up Libby's place?  Did Libby staying close - watching over us - allow them the freedom to explore?  I don't know for sure, but I do believe they were trying to figure out how to accomplish this new way of walking...without our friend.  So were we, Matthew and I...but we did it and we did it together.

As we walked, almost with each step, my heart started to fill with such wonderful memories of our times here with our dogs, with Libby.  Matthew and I shared our thoughts together of all the many fun, sweet memories.  I started feeling this tremendous warmth of thankfulness, for the gift of sharing my life with Libby, with dogs.  Since before I can remember, my life has been graced with a dog or dogs sharing my days.  I do understand those who feel the pain of loss so strongly that they declare they will never go through "that again".  I feel for them, as I do truly know their pain, it's real and it's hard.  But, try as I might, I just can't think of life without them.  The wonderful ways in which dogs have enriched my life are almost too numerous to name...my sweetest friends.

As I was about to burst with a thankful heart, I thought how appropriate...for this month of November.  A time to be thankful.

I'd like to share some of the ways dogs have made my life richer.  Anyone who knows me knows how very thankful I am for my human family...my husband, my kids and now my grandkids are my most precious gifts.  They are number one and bless me beyond compare!  But, it's okay to thank those furry paws who climb into our hearts in ways that are so loving and so pure.  So here goes....

I am thankful for...

the love,

listening so intently while I shared my heart - whether it was breaking or about to overflow with joy,

for sitting up with me while taking care of my sick little ones, 

for helping me dry little tears and patch boo boos,

for getting out of your comfy bed to go with me on midnight runs to the kitchen for soda and crackers, for tylenol and water,

for snuggling with me when my fever spiked and somehow laying just right by my side to provide warmth and comfort to my aching back,

for seeing me at my worse and seeming not to even notice,

for dancing in the rain with me,

for sitting with me, just sitting together enjoying a sunny day, a beautiful sunset or watching the first snow fall,

for going with me to drop off the kids at school,

listening to all my worries, 

and keeping all my secrets, 

allowing me to cry in your fur,

and licking my tears,

for walking endless trails,

and taking wonderful journeys,

for being one of my greatest teachers,

for all the laughter, 

and all the fun...

...thank you, most of all, for being my friend.