Life Lessons From a Dog

Do you like pets; specifically, a dog?  I like dogs; that is, I admire them but I don’t want to take care of them.  I would rather spend that precious time doing something more productive.  Little did I know that having a pet dog will teach me valuable life lessons.

Slippers, my dog came unexpectedly in my life. Slippers is a shih tzu.  My son has been prodding me to get him a pet dog but I had a lot of excuses from not having the money to buy one and that dogs are just nuisance in the house.  Unknowingly, my son took on a job just to buy slippers.  At first I did not like her but Slippers’ love for all us changed my heart.  She also taught me some valuable life lessons.

Never give up. I guess it is instinct; dogs never give up.  Slippers never gave up on me despite my being difficult.   She would always wag her tail when she sees me.  She would bark and run when she hears my car coming.  She would sit patiently near my feet as if to tell me that she will wait no matter how long, till I learn to love her.

My dog gave me an inspiration to never give up.  Slippers motivated me to keep trying till I reach my goal, till I overcome my challenges.

Be contented. Slippers find contentment in small things like a pat on her head, a short car ride, a few minutes of walk in the park.  My dog is happy in anything that we do together.

Slow down and count your blessings. Slippers taught me to count my blessings.  She taught me to find enjoyment in a few minutes of solitude during the early hours in the morning.  She taught me to stop and take time to enjoy her company and my kids.  My dog taught me that rushing to accomplish tasks will just stress me out; that tasks will not cease to exist. She taught me to leave the chaos behind and calm myself.  Her company kept me from burning out.

Unconditional love and devotion. I can’t think of any animal that is more capable of  showing love and affection than a dog.  Some people may kick their pet in anger, but the poor dog will still come to his master when he calls him back.  Such is an unconditional love.  A dog will even give his life to his master.  I read of a news story wherein a dog lost his snout when a car hit him.  The car was supposed to hit the kids of the dog’s master but seeing what is about to happen, the dog rushed and pushed the kids away from the  direction of the car.

Friendship and trust.  Slippers enjoy the company of other dogs. Seeing her with her canine friends encouraged me to get out of my cocoon and accept invitation of friends to go out.  I learned to trust again because of my dog.  She taught me that disappointments do come but you need to be positive and to trust that good things will come.

No one is perfect.  I am not a perfect master but slippers accept me for who I am.  On cranky days, I might scold her.  Though she keeps a distance from me, she soon will come slowly to me testing if my unholy mood has passed away.  This reminds me that I am not a perfect mother but I am doing my best to be a good single mom.  My dog reminds me of  that I make mistakes and that I should learn to forgive myself and anyone who has done me wrong.

Above life lessons I’ve learned from a dog are some of the most important lessons that keeps me focus on my role as a single mom.