Should we live more like dogs??

I received an email sometime earlier this week that made the comment that instead of living our lives the way we do, we should take heed from our dogs and try to live our lives more like them. At first of course you immediately think of all the negative reasons why living like a dog would not be conducive to the world we live in, but then, if you take a second, and think about it....it's kind of great advice.

I can't remember the last time my dog was mad at me. I can't remember ever coming home and not being greeted by 8 sets of paws pawing at my leg for me to pick them up (okay, so I have dachshunds, they can't exactly knock you over with attention). I can't remember the last time my dog didn't curl up next to me when I was sick. I can't remember my dogs ever being in a bad mood, or barking at me because they were mad, or even a time when they didn't want to chase the ball until all their energy was exhausted.

I think that while the wording of this chain email was somewhat corny, the message was a valid point. Dogs always act like they haven't seen you in years when you walk through the door. Dogs always curl up next to you when you're not feeling well just to be near you. Dogs always exhaust their energy doing something fun instead of sitting on the couch watching TV. Dogs always make time for you. Dogs will protect you, their family, until the very end. My dachshunds have gotten in front of some pretty huge dogs to make their point known, and maybe the other dog would have destroyed them had I not been there to pull them out of harm's way, but they were still willing to risk minor injury to protect me.

I get that dogs don't have the same pressures and stress factors in their lives that we humans do, but there is something to be admired in their behavior. If we could just take time to be excited every time we saw someone we loved, my how the world would be different. And if we would just curl up next to the person we love when they're sick, just to be near them, my how the world would be different. If we spent our time doing the things that bring us happiness until we were exhausted instead of sitting in front of the TV or computer all day, my how the world would be different.

While I can't stay home and sleep all day like my dogs, I can take bits and pieces of their behavior and incorporate it into mine. I think dogs have the most optimistic view of all of us. They always see the sunny side of things, and they always live their lives enjoying every minute.
The email also said that a little boy made the comment that dogs are here for such a short period of time because they've already figured out how to live life and they don't need as long to live their life. It's a good point, but can you imagine how much fuller your life would be if you lived your life always seeing the happiness, the optimism and the joy in your life?

I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive.
~Gilda Radner

A great post by a great friend!!!!

I have many great friends in my life. Some I admire for the person they are and for the person that they make me want to be. My friend Janet is exactly that kind of person. Anytime I feel down or less than great, I can read something she's written about something she's doing, or a charity that she's donating to, and I feel better. I'm so glad that there are people like her in the world! And the best part is, I can call her my friend.

This is an amazing post that she wrote. I encourage you to check it out!
I hope that you all have someone in your life like Janet. Someone who can lift your spirits and make you want to be a better person without even knowing that they're doing it.

Life is too short to have regrets. Every action we take, every mistake we make all lead up to the life we lead today. Personally, I wouldn't have mine any other way!

An optimistic point of view...

I'd like to think that the majority of the time, my view on life is optimistic. Granted, I have my days where I would rather stay in bed, under the covers and pretend that the world is out to get me...but in all reality, it's just not in my nature to think the worst about things...or people for that matter.

This weekend, I had conversations with many friends, but one conversation struck me the most. This one involved a friend telling me that they didn't have the same faith in God as they used to because God took something away from them before they were ready to give it up. (I'm being vague here on purpose). My view on this particular situation is that a) it was probably time for the something to be given up b) its selfish to want to keep things because you're not ready c) there are other things in life that can make up for the somethings that we have to give up. I realize that sometimes, when we give things up that we don't want to, we often don't see the light at the end of the tunnel or the hand reaching for us to help us through the darkness. We want to get angry and denounce what we believe because it makes us feel better to stay angry and to not see the other side of the argument. But, at the same time.....when one door closes, another one always opens. Maybe we don't see it right away, and maybe it's not God who's taking the doors and closing them in our face and then opening new ones just as we run into the closed one. I do believe there is something bigger than me guiding me through my path whether that be God, Buddha, Gandhi, whomever. But maybe, if we took the time to see the light at the end of the tunnel, the hand reaching for ours, we'd be able to "handle" situations better in our day to day life.

I had someone tell me today that maybe I shouldn't take all my vacation time this summer in case a friend or family member died and I needed to go to their funeral.....I decided that I would err on the side of optimism and life my days thinking that everyone I love will have a happy and healthy year this year.

I just think that if we live our lives always looking behind to see what negativity is gaining on our heels, then we're living our lives always looking behind. We don't know the fate of the world, or what is going to happen in this life today or tomorrow...but what we can know and what we can control is our attitude about this day and this life. I thinking choosing the optimistic point of view in the end results in much happier outcomes. We worry ourselves until we've worried ourselves away and force ourselves to feel depressed and undo sadness.

I'm going to live my life with an optimistic point of view...and I hope you do too!

"If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought."
-Peace Pilgrim

Okay, okay, a few days late....

This is going to be a big update, but it'll still be fun!

Let's start with....Boston.
Boston was a BLAST. I have about 900 pictures from the trip and each one of them absolutely amazes me. And no, it's not because I'm a super talented photographer, it's because the history and the atmosphere of Boston is absolutely amazing! I can't wait to go back! And if I could, I would totally move there. Husband refuses to leave Tejas. No problem with that, it's just kind of boring!

Anyway, we were sitting outside of a pub one day, and husband ran out to take this picture:
It was totally random, but hilarious at the same time. He is not normally one to run out and get free hugs, especially not from people with blue hair. Oh well, it proved for some good laughs and some more good drinks! Shortly after leaving the pub, I tripped on a cobblestone walkway (plus muffle your laughs!) and sprained my ankle pretty bad. I'm currently walking around in a boot to help stabilize the ankle. Yep, 3 weeks later and I get stuck in a boot! Lucky me! Anyway....we spent the next day at the aquarium and went on a whale watching tour! We saw about 6 whales, and one of them was the cutest little whale ever! he totally hammed it up for the cameras too, which made him even more fun to watch!

The aquarium had a special sea turtle exhibit and they've been working on helping turtles recover so that they can go back into the wild. I could watch sea turtles for hours, and this little guy really caught my attention. I think he liked having the attention too!
On our first day there (sorry this is all out of chronological order) we went to the Old State House and got a pretty decent history of Boston. This was my favorite statue from the Old State House. It was a statue dedicated to the Civil War Nurses and while this picture doesn't capture all of it's beauty, it captures a lot of it!
And of course, you have to stop in "where everybody knows your name.....and they're always glad you came!"
I probably called 10 people while we were at Cheers and tried to sing the song to them. Let's just say, it was interesting to them if nothing else!

OKAY! On to other things! Life has been crazy lately, and it hasn't slowed down one bit! I'm almost done with my second semester of school, and I have to admit, it's kind of nice to almost have two semesters behind me! This one was a lot longer than the last and that made it a little more difficult to stay focused, but I'm doing it and I'll make it through with great grades, hopefully!

this past weekend, my mom, grandma and I traveled to Beeville, Tx to attend a funeral of a family member. While the circumstances that got us there were not the best, we had a pretty good time and even managed to have some fun in the midst of all the sadness. My cousin Chris, has horses and works the rodeo circuit, and begged for us to come see his horses. Seeing as we never EVER get down his way, we all obliged and it turned out to be really fun! He has two babies on the ground and they were the cutest things I've ever seen.
This one is just over 1 week old!
And this one is just over 4 weeks old! He was more willing to come up and allow you to touch him. I guess he's a little more weened off his mama! I absolutely adore horses, and I'm trying to convince my cousin that he needs to give me one of his!

Things are mostly good. Husband has been very busy which helps speed the days up. We're gearing up for a trip to South Dakota for my cousin's wedding. It should be fun! It's going to be a long, long, long drive though! Road trips are fun, and this one should prove to be no different!

A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.
Lao Tzu