Of Dogs and Bones
I went for a walk this morning with my girl, Gabby, as we do every morning we possibly can. These moments are too perfect to miss as everything around us unravels, unrolls and stretches to the sky with the welcoming warmth of the sun.
This particular morning, I passed a few regulars along my route of gravelly paths and tunnels of green, with that unmistakable scent of autumn slowly tiptoeing in. What was most wonderful about this morning was encountering a fellow walking towards me from the opposite direction, whose gleam and warmth was so bright that it could be seen many steps before we actually exchanged space. I couldn’t help but smile watching his prolonged and affectionate expression at my wagging and welcoming dog. At no point did we make eye contact; he was simply smitten by the gingery chocolate coat, the tawny eyes with flecks of gold, and the snow-white chin of my girl. I am often the admirer of the canine-passerby, failing to follow the lead to the hand, then the face of the person who is walking that dog. This fellow was much like me when crossing paths with a dog; laser-focused and sweetly enamored by the joy-of-just-being that dogs convey.
As I continued on, I felt so proud of Gabby. Not only does she bring such warmth and delight to my daily existence; for just a few moments, she brought some genuine, heart-happy joy to someone else’s day, simply by being her perfectly natural self. Chin up, nose to the sky, confidently strutting along, not a care in the world. She doesn’t even have to try.
It seems a luxury in this day and age of abundant vanity and superficiality to simply live your true nature, be your authentic self, and rock it! But it is possible, if we choose it as a fundamental way of life. There are many lessons we can take from our dogs and today, this one was a good reminder.
My evening walk reaped another interesting reflection, though in this instance, occurring with the coolness of the setting sun, I was the lone admirer. There’s a real tenderness in watching an elderly person walk an elderly dog. Same pace, same appreciation of the sights, the sounds, the smells, and a gratitude for simply being alive. This is what I discovered as I came upon the tall stature of a fellow, neatly assembled in starched linen shorts and a crisp white shirt. I would guess he was well into his 80's but I imagine he was a handsome looker, a sharp dresser, and perhaps an accomplished athlete back in his day.
This day, he donned the curvature of an aging spine, a troublesome limp from an abnormally positioned hip, and swollen knuckles from arthritic pain; a look I remember from my granddad's hands. The dog was leg-to-leg with the man and what initially drew my attention was the synchronous nature of their movement as it seemed the dog’s limp was precisely that of his master.
He was a lovely black pooch with imperfectly balanced ears and beautiful brown eyes that were smoky white in the middle, matching his graying face; an indicator of his advancing years. Hobbling along at a snail’s pace, they were surely feeling the same pain and secretly wished for days that don’t hurt quite so much. Edging ever so slowly to the end of the road where our paths intersected, I offered a smile and a wave to them both as they strained to see me with the setting sun at my back. I secretly wished for them a safe journey home where they were both probably envisioning settling into a low, comfortable, cushioned chair and snoozing off under a big willow tree in the back yard. But for now, I catch the man glance warmly to his walking partner in all of his discomfort to convey, “I’ve got you, my friend”, and the dog returning his assurance with a slow but recognizable wag to say, “I’m happy to be here with you”, and I see that they are one; that there is an understanding, a knowing, and an undeniable connection between them.
Admittedly and without apology, I’ve been known to romanticize and sentimentalize just about anything. Some days it’s a blessing; others, a curse. In this case, I can say with certainty that this was a compassionate moment; a display of redamancy; a word of Latin origin to mean, the act of loving the one who loves you; a love returned in full, and I was so fortunate to witness such an exquisite moment.
May we all experience breathtaking moments of coming eye-to-eye and soul-to-soul in a rare and unique bond. May we find comfort in the parallels and perpendicularity of our life’s journey with that of others. And however slow, however painful the trek may be some days, may we always continue life’s adventure with love, compassion and gratitude as our guide.
