We've heard it all before ... 'it's the journey, not the destination'. Garth Brooks tells us he could have missed the pain, but then he'd miss the dance. We all know it's what we should do, greet every single day with joy rather than count the days 'til the end of the week, the first day of Spring, Christmas, the end of winter ... accept the agony of pain, the wisdom we learn from defeat, and move on through life experiencing the bumps we find along the road. We know this. But sometimes, lots of times, we forget to slow down and just enjoy the ride every single day.There's a couple kinds of dances that we do. First, there's life's daily dance and then there's the crazy spinning in circles dance, the one when you pretty much know where you're going to be standing when the band stops playing, but you dance around in circles just in case it will take you somewhere else. Usually, though, you end up right where you thought you would even if you'd just danced once around the floor.
On January 15, 2001, I was born. In December 2000 Meme said to Poppy ... "I want a dog." And Poppy said, "We don't need a dog".
January came and Meme was still talking about getting a dog, her family always had dogs in her childhood and she promised herself that once she retired, she would adopt a dog. But Poppy kept saying they didn't need one and right about that time, I was born. I'm a natural born Floridian, born in Daytona Beach ... and some say there are no "real" Floridians, but I'm living proof that there are!
Meme has a really good friend who knew how badly Meme wanted to find me and how much I would add to both their lives. But Meme told her "I don't know, we need to both want a dog, not just me". And her friend said (and Meme has never forgotten this) .... "You're just doin' the dance."
And so they danced around the idea of a dog through the rest of January and all the while Meme was searching the internet looking for me. Of course, Poppy eventually relented as he always does (not sure why he even tries to go against my Meme because once she makes up her mind she is relentless!).
All that was needed now was for the stars to align so we would meet and that's just what happened in the middle of February when she and her friend drove north to Daytona Beach.And there I was with my litter mates. Meme picked me up and I nuzzled into her neck and magic happened, the stars aligned and everything fell into place. It was in that moment that I found her, she found me, and on that day the dancing around in circles was done, but life's dance had only just begun .... at least for me.
In the 10 years that followed sometimes I would lead and sometimes they would (mostly me though). One of my biggest challenges is trying to get them to notice me when they're about to go out the door and I can't think of a reason in the world they can't take me along. Sometimes they do, but sadly I'm often left behind. Over time, guess who fell in love with me and wondered how he could possibly have considered not getting "a dog". You guessed it. And I could have told him what would
happen because I'm not just any "dog" ... I am Molly and they were put on this earth just for me and of course I was born especially for them.I got to thinking about all the times people check off days on the calendar looking forward to the next big event without enjoying the dance of life every day. Maybe we start to think more like this when we get a little older and the 'days dwindle down to a precious few'. When we're young it seems like our days will go on forever. An infinite period of time lies ahead so we often end up just looking forward instead of enjoying the moment.
I live in the moment; all dogs do. I care what's happening this second ... and now this one. I don't have the ability to think ahead or look back and learn from my mistakes; I don't understand that when times are tough and everything seems as dark as it can possibly get, it will get better. If I'm in the vet's office sitting on that table and they're poking me I just hate it. And no amount of "this will be over soon" is going to placate me. Still, somehow I know it's all part of the dance ... even the lousy stuff. And like Garth says ... we could have missed the pain, but then we'd also miss the dance.
Remember the colors of the festive holiday season? All the joy, the happy sounds of laughter, the gentle feeling of good will seems to be everywhere? A snowflake strays to your windowsill and you just happen to be there at the window right at that moment and you watch as it sparkles in the glow from the firelight inside.
That one snowflake, different from any other that has ever fallen, will melt away ... but that's just one tiny moment in the dance we call life. And while the snowflake will melt, the joy of that moment, different from any other before or since, will live forever in your heart. Imagine if you'd missed it, imagine if you had turned away and when you looked back it was gone.
Cherish this day ... it will not come again.
'Til next time ..
Molly
