Doggone Good Advice

Maybe I can’t teach an old dog new tricks but it seems an old dog can teach me some things, about life. I think I am going to take advice from my aging dog and slow down a bit this year. Poncho was a crazy puppy. He had a LOT of energy. Kind-hearted people always told us just wait until he is 2 and he will calm down. Well, he turned 2 and he did not calm down one bit. In fact he made it all the way to 10 without calming down much.

Now he is 11 making his way toward 12 and he is finally calm (most of the time).

Poncho used to go, go, go! Now he spends most of his time sleeping. He still likes to play, but not for too long. He still likes to go on walks, but tires sooner. He still enjoys seeing his doggie BFFs but hardly plays with them like he used to. His younger dog friends try taunting him but he usually chooses to lay down over playing tug-o-war, chase or wrestling.

He is losing his eyesight. His muscles are degenerating and I am watching the process of aging do its thing in the rapid way it does in dogs.

I get sad sometimes seeing him slow down knowing he may not be with us for much longer. But he is not sad. He is just living life, taking it as it comes and enjoying it as much as possible.

I wish I could be more like Poncho.  I spent the last year in the go, go, go mode and to be honest it was not a very satisfying year.

Instead of go, go, go I am going to try to slow, slow, slow. Life is flying by fast enough. I see proof of this when I look in the mirror and see the wrinkles on my face. What is the hurry?

I am going to slow down, spend more quality time with my dog in the sunset of his life and maybe learn a little bit from him on how to worry less and appreciate more.

I am not sure how I am going to do this but slowing down is my intention for 2012.

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