I
had a rough day yesterday, as evidenced by the blog posting. Today, though, is
a new day that is ready for the taking. Which reminds me that I not only should
take something from the day, but I should also give something. A hug, words of
encouragement, a laugh. Something to make someone else have a good thing in
their day, even if it’s not the best day for them either.
My
dogs serve as constant reminders that the little things are what is most
important in this life. It isn’t money, fame, nice things or whatever else.
Yes, money can buy things that can make you happy, but it doesn’t actually
result in happiness from within. Let’s talk about Ash for a moment and I’ll
prove my point.
Ash
is the first Siberian Husky that we rescued. Now when I say that we rescued
him, I mean that we gave him a home and we found him from a wonderful Siberian
Husky rescue group in Tennessee. I called and ended up talking Husky stuff with
a woman named Shana. We agreed that I could come down and see him and bring my
other Sibe, Tiberius, with me. I knew that as much as I had fallen in love with
Ash just from his picture, that if him and Tiberius didn’t get along, we could
never give him the home he so deserved. Within the week I was making a three
hour drive one way to go see Ash.
He
was beautiful. Scared to death, scarred by abuse and he shook like a leaf.
Shana had to pull him out of the crate that he was in so that we could try to
pet him. After a little bit, we decided to introduce Ash and Tiberius, in a
more neutral setting. Outside…where there were no crates, no other dogs and it
was a territory that neither one of them could claim as their own. I almost did
a backflip. You would have thought that the two of them came from the same
litter they got along so well. We then took them inside where they proceeded to
run, play and romp like puppies. I filled out the paperwork, signed the
agreement about having him neutered, microchipped and acknowledgement that if
for whatever reason we were unable to care for him, that we would contact them
and return him until such time that we could bring him back or have him rehomed
if the circumstances were critical.
That
was almost three years ago. I have had the absolute pleasure watching Ash learn
how to be a dog, and more importantly, how to trust. It’s been a long journey,
but he has made such a turn around! He still sometimes hides if someone comes
into the home that he hasn’t met before, but he will now approach them and at
least sniff and possibly allow them to pet him before he decides if he’s going
to hide, lie down somewhere or follow them around cause they are his new friend.
He found his voice and uses it daily now, where at first he would cower in fear
that he was going to be hit when he first started making sounds around us. So,
every time he would make a sound, we began to praise him and make a big deal
out of it, loving on him and trying to get him to do it again. It worked. He
has the deepest voice and I now lovingly call him my grumpy old man when he
talks to us. He still wants to be petted and loved on when he talks and we are
more than happy to do it.
He
is hilarious! We can walk somewhere near him, say “Yay!” and raise our arms up
and he immediately jumps up, runs to us and jumps with his front paws out in a
similar pose and smiles. He’ll even talk when he lands back on the floor…which
starts the process all over again. He pants and he smiles and he turns in
circles and he makes me laugh. My husband has a game called “Monster” that he
plays and Ash LOVES it. His daddy will grab a blanket, run down the hallway,
hide in a corner and cover himself with the blanket. He will then raise his
arms up and make ghost sounds while shuffling down the hallway…and Ash runs at
him, jumps up on him and tries to pull the blanket from him…all while talking
in his deep voice as if saying, “Hey! Let my daddy out of there!” Pat also
plays “Monkey” with him, where he will get on his knees in the floor and raise
up and start making orangutan noises and beating his chest. Ash will jump all
around him, talking and then nip at his ankles or his back and sometimes his
arm, but he never ever bites down to hurt him. And if he does accidentally do
something to you that hurts and you say, “ow”, then he immediately stops and
will lick you. It’s his way of apologizing…and it’s adorable.
However;
the most adorable of all is his love of squeaky toys. I don’t care what it is,
if it has a squeaker inside it, it is Ash’s. Every time we get paid, I will buy
three new toys that squeak and bring them home for him. I’ll remove the tags
and give it one squeeze and you can hear his heavy paws running from wherever
so he can get to me. I give him one at a time and the others don’t get
introduced until he has killed the other one. That first toy is usually all
squeaked out within five minutes. He will gingerly take it in his mouth, turn
around, run to hide and you can hear that toy squeaking with everything it’s got!
Ash will carry it around with him to different parts of the house and squeak
there. If it’s dinner time or potty time…that toy goes with him everywhere…and
if one of the other dogs tries to take it, he will growl at them…he never
fights over it, but he will growl…and that’s usually enough. And I laugh and
giggle every single time. He LOVES the squeaky toys. I’ve been told it’s a
waste of money and my husband and I counter that it most definitely is NOT a
waste of money. It makes Ash happy…and since he is our happy boy that likes to
share his happys with everyone…we’ll buy stock in the squeaky toy company for
the rest of his happy life here.
It’s
the little things. A dogs grin, their unconditional love and how they love
certain things that have absolutely no value to anyone else…but it makes them
happy. And that makes me happy.
And
THAT is all the difference in this life.
Be
happy!
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