Power of the Paw

This is going to be a rambling post, so grab your coffee and settle in for a while. :)

So I have to admit something, I'm human. I know... difficult for anyone, especially a mom, to admit, but I cannot do everything, make everything perfect, and oftentimes I make some very poor mistakes. =D

But then sometimes a little paw can help me remember I have done some things very, very right.

Yesterday I was feeling I was on top of the world, and ready to take it on like gangbusters. You know... rookie mistake for somebody who has had the flu. Instead of being a good girl, I stripped the sheets off my bed, took a long shower, emptied my dishwasher, yeah... basically I wore myself out. I wanted my life to "get back to normal". So instead of being tickled to death to be on the road togetting back to normal I ended up in bed sleeping for 13 hours

Like I said rookie mistake.

But then little Newby, best nurse ever, reminded me this morning of something important. Sometimes a paw on the road to normalcy is a huge step.

I've not been the best trainer in the world for my dogs, or even Reed for that matter. I enjoy them enjoying life... jumping on the sofa, climbing in your lap for a hug, not asking for permission to distract you from other things for a snuggle.

My house.. my rules, I've always figured. I like Reed and my dogs to know this is home.. their safety... feel free to make mistakes because inside this house there will always be love, forgiveness, and acceptance.

Newby apparently had owners who taught him not to jump up on the couch for a quick hello, and it's not acceptable to climb on top of your mom like a pillow and snuggle in for a long nap, and licking on the face is a huge no-no.

For Newby a single paw touching your side or your leg is a huge step.. it was his first marathon. That first step on the road to what my other two find "normal". And now he does it quite often. More often than not, you'll see pictures of Newby with a single paw on me.. I cannot snap enough pictures of him doing it. That one paw is the biggest step for him not to be that nervous, pee on the floor at the drop of the hat, run from everyone, scared he was going to be left on the porch alone, little dog we got just seven months ago.

For him that paw being tentatively placed on my leg takes more strength than I could imagine. For him placing that single paw on me, without reprimand, is the safest place he has ever been. He knows I'm there for him, to love, forgive, and accept him forever.

So today when I feel a little bit better than yesterday I need to take a note from Newby's book, and take it one paw at a time.