The Art of Observation
Since Covid19’s arrival, Ken and I have been spending a lot more time watching each other. I look up from washing the dishes and he is watching me. He lies on the couch reading his Kindle and I’m reading him.
“Ken, doesn’t it seem like we are watching each other a lot more?” I finally asked.
“Yep,” he agreed. “I feel like we’re waiting for something to happen. It’s like our life is on pause.”
As much as we may be observing each other during this strange and surreal time, our animal friends are the true masters of observation. There is nothing that gets past them; the bread crumb that falls off your cutting board, your heightened anxiety over bad news, a smile that crosses your face that you might not even be aware of.
I think that dogs and cats, our primary animal companions, have been patiently waiting for our life to be on pause, because they live their life on paws 24/7. Their focus is on being rather than doing, their attention is on the present moment instead of the concerns of the past and future, and their joy lies in their connection to their family – human and animal. This is a simple yet powerful formula for increasing happiness. But how often do we take our animal’s lead and follow it in our own lives?
The first few weeks of the Covid19 scare threw me for a loop. I had to push back my book launch and my finely organized business plan for the year got tossed in the air. As I waited to see where all the pieces would fall, my enthusiasm, motivation, and drive fizzled like a balloon out of air. I binge watched episodes of Never Call Saul instead of working on my own book, I ate way too many tortilla chips rather than the healthier fare I was used to, and I played Bananagrams several times a day – on my own. As the days passed, I felt myself growing quieter and receding deeper into myself.
How Dogs Rescue Us Back
Fortunately, my new rescue dog Grace, who we adopted just before the pandemic hit, didn’t let me stick to that schedule. She had to be walked, brushed, fed, and playtime wasn’t an option. Like a magician, when 6:30am rolled around I could feel her eyes willing me to rise, feed, and walk her. If I ignored her, she leapt on me. If I still resisted, she started barking. There’s nothing like having a 55 pound dog jump on you and lick your face first thing in the morning to make you laugh off a bad mood.
My life may be on pause in the outer world for now, by fortunately I’m back on track; hiking 4 miles a day with Grace, drinking green juices to keep my immunity strong, and writing my new book, Junkyard Dog: a rescue story. I must confess that I am still enjoying playing Bananagrams a couple of times a day, but I’ve also started journaling in my book, Paws for the Good Stuff: a dog lover’s journal for creating a happier and more pawsitive life; where every morning I jot down ways that Grace inspires me to be more grateful. This five-minute gratitude practice gives my happiness a jumpstart for the day. And at night, just before I drift off, it reminds me to send pawsitive thoughts and a little happiness to someone who may need it.
How Will You Have Spent Your Time?
Like you, I don’t know what the future will bring. It does sound as if we will be social distancing from each other for some time to come and this can be challenging for many reasons. But if you have a dog or cat or other companion animal in your home, Life on Paws can be an unexpected gift, a rare opportunity to take this time to deepen our connection with our furry friends. The books I write are about expanding these connections because I’ve seen first hand how the healing benefits of these relationships can infuse our wellbeing.
When this pandemic is over, how will you remember this time? What will you have learned from a Life on Paws? Like dogs, I hope that when we emerge, we can be friendlier to one another, and like cats, I hope that we will grow wiser from our shared experience. And from both, I hope that we take more time to paws for the good stuff even when we don’t have to.
Stay Pawsitive,
CMDO 💜
PS: If you are an animal lover, what is one thing you’ve learned from a Life on Paws, now or at any other time? Please share your comment in the box below.
We normally look after friends and neighbours doggies while they are away, so really miss having them around in the house right now. Look forward to better times in the not too distant future and hoping.
We were so lucky to have adopted Grace, just a few weeks before the world was turned upside down by Covid. She is making a huge difference in both our lives. My husband keeps saying, he is so glad she is here. Life would have been so different otherwise.
Thx for your comment Nicky!