My dog, Miss Frieda, likes to sleep in the hallway outside my office door, her nose just in the doorway to remind me she is there. It seems such a simple thing, amidst my break-fixing a complex computer system or researching a wonky linux service. And yet it is quite profound.
I have spoken in the past about friendship, that sense of connectedness that spans time and space to create the bonds we need to feel part of ‘the village’. Miss Frieda reminds of that connectedness in one simple gesture.
It has often been said that dogs live in the moment. Perhaps that is why scolding a dog when you discover a chewed shoe half an hour after the ‘crime’ has very little effect on the next time you leave your bazillion dollar Reeboks lying in the front hallway! And we know that when your dog stares at you it is to gauge your mood at that moment.
All weekend I have been plagued by a stiff neck and shoulder. It is fairly common, mostly me forgetting to remind myself that I am not 30 years old anymore and really need to reconsider grabbing something heavy and toting it up the stairs. Ach well, some life lessons are harder to learn than others! The relief, for me at least, is to lie flat on my back on the floor and stretch, pointing my toes as far as possible. It might look odd to a passerby but dang if it doesn’t work!
Being between lines on my ‘honey-do’ list I decided to take the opportunity to stretch. Lying down on my back in the hallway near where Miss Frieda was snoozing I went into my routine.
No sooner than I had started my stretch but with a soft sigh Miss Frieda lifted her head and scooted over so her nose was next to my ear and one paw on my shoulder. Such a simple gesture but a huge ‘Hey buddy, I am here!’ message.
So there we lay for a good 20 minutes, just enjoying the peace and quiet, the connection. Tomorrow she might be back to her usual stubborn, needy, barky turkey-butt, but that will be in another moment.
Cheers,
Mark