Poooh Busters Blog: Saturday - "B" is for Boxer

"B" is for Beautiful

Our sad yet uplifting journey brings us to a beautiful Saturday afternoon with the family spending some serious quality time with Diesel.

As her day begins Jennifer struggles with staying in the moment. She wrote me and expressed her wonder at how the world can keep turning when we are on the brink of losing one of the best dogs that ever lived? I was able to completely relate, I've thought the same thing in times like these. The world just keeps moving forward no matter what we're going through.

With that said, let's make the world stop for a few moments while we experience Diesel's Saturday.

After all, "B" is for Boxer and so many other things as you'll see.

Jennifer writes:
"Diesel, whether it's the best time or the worst time, it's the only time we've got... live with no regrets.

Yesterday was a day where I felt regret over so many things and those feelings spilled over into this morning... the moment when you first wake up in the morning should be the most wonderful of the next twenty-four hours. It's the time when you can be most certain that the day that lies ahead holds the possibility that anything can happen... and even if you diverge from the path of certainty, the possibility remains... it is always there.

Unless you diverge.

I diverged, Diesel...

I left the "now" and went back to regret when I placed the thought in my mind that this would be the last weekend we would have you with us. I was down before I ever got up.

While I would usually say regret for wasted time is just more wasted time - sometimes we humans need to have moments of self-reflection where we can re-calibrate ourselves and learn from our experience.

This re-calibration when done as a family is even more meaningful because we are sharing things we may not have ever verbalized before... while you, sweet Diesel, always listen and never interrupt... we humans seem to be able to close our ears with more ease than our mouth - oh the things we can learn when we listen twice as much as speak...

...and with this begins forgiveness of all the wrongs we feel we have done and the acceptance that being back in the moment is the only place to be, so we headed out to make this an "anything can happen" day.

I'd like to tell you that I skipped along with a spring in my step and a whistle in my heart, but I didn't. When I "should" begin something, I more often do not. I have mastered the art of keeping up with yesterday... and, like yesterday, I felt more like I was in a trance and simply going through the motions of a another day...

...counting down...

...it took effort not to feel like I wanted to just be back home with you...

Gage and Alyssa keep us in the moment... and when children are wise beyond their years and filled with the energy of youth, you find they help you verge back on the path of possibilities and somehow the day presents itself with opportunity again.

(The things we can learn from our dogs and our children - how do we ever survive as grown adults without them?)

After a short trip to the craft store, we returned with some very special surprises for you, Diesel. Coming home to sunshine and feeling your happiness was all I needed to put myself back to living in the "now".

Alyssa and Gage reminded me today that, no matter what, every moment is a new chance for a happy ending and that is beautiful.

(But you already knew that.)

Beautiful begins with B.

(Didn't think you knew that, did ya'?)

"B" is for Brushing

Some of your favourite things begin with "B"... so we celebrated some of those and you had a blast (also a "B" word, Diesel)!

Tonight, as I journal how this day evolved, I have found that when you add the "e" from "experience" and place it in the middle of "regret" you get this funky new word "regreet"...

(Coincidentally my iPhone's auto-correct insists that I want to spell "regret", but no... I do not)

...you can regret all you want or you can take your experience and regreet each moment with the expectation that anything can happen.

There are no "do overs" in life. You need to live this life as though you were given two and this is your second...

(that might make more sense to your cat cousin Smeagol)

...while I may have diverged today from the path, you

"B" is for Boxer who is Blissfully loved!

have taught me on so many walks that the more side roads you stop to explore, the less likely you'll be to have life pass you by. Self-discovery isn't a separate journey - it's a side road.

I believe that my life has changed so much from the time I have spent with you, Diesel... but in these seven days you are changing my world. Somebody else did some fabulous things with a world in seven days. Coincidence? I think not.

...it was a good day my friend."