​Lessons and Love from the Heart Prints of a Dog by Pennie Hunt

My dog turned 8 today. She is a beautiful copper and white fluffy face of love. She is pampered and spoiled to the point of diva status. Her name is Gracie.

If you follow the modern calculation of dog years to human years, each of the first two years of a dog’s life equals 10.5 in human years - 21 years. The next 6 years of a dog’s life each equals 4 human years - 24 years. For my 8-year-old Shih Tzu this is the equivalent of 45 human years. The expected life span of a Shih Tzu is 10-16 dog years. The charts are quick to point out that all of this is an estimate and individual dogs may vary depending on size, genetics, and overall health.

I would guess Gracie has a glorious second half of life ahead of her. You might say she won the lottery of humans when she came to live with us at 9 weeks old. Gracie never goes hungry or thirsty and has regular checkups and veterinary care. She visits a groomer once a month and halfway through the month enjoys a home spa day that consists of special shampoo, warmed towels, and a luxury blow dry and brush out by her humans (that’s us). She enjoys freshly cooked chicken in her meals and when winter is fierce, she has a custom artificial turf area in the garage to keep her safe from the dangerous cold and blizzard conditions. Yes, pampered and spoiled may be an understatement.

More than all of that, Gracie knows a few things about life and how to take care of herself. When she wakes up in the morning, or even after a nap, she always does a few yoga stretches and slowly eases her body into the movement of the day.
She never eats unless she is hungry, but when she is hungry, she eats with the excitement of it being the most delicious food she has ever tasted. She enjoys it as if it is the only meal she has ever had. When she is full, she stops- even if there is still food in her bowl.

Gracie is content with what she has and enjoys the simple pleasure of a belly rub and believes there is always time for laying in the sunshine and feeling the warmth of it on her back.

She is always friendly and kind to other animals and to all humans. She is enthusiastic when she meets someone new and is sad when they leave.
She understands the meaning of trust and the expectation of loyalty. She gives both freely. She is the guardian of her humans, rarely leaving us alone without her supervision…I mean protection. She knows if we are stressed or not feeling well. She lays next to us aware that her snuggles will calm us and rubbing her ears will be the soothing medicine we need.

Gracie is a master teacher. Most importantly, Gracie teaches us that the number one essential thing in life is love. She gives it without condition and is grateful when it is given to her. It is her purpose in life and the mission of her heart – to love.

I wonder what dogs think. I am pretty sure they don’t think about how old they are or how many calories are in a birthday cake. I don’t think they wish for a bigger house or a faster car or worry if the dog next door has fancier squeaky toys. They are too busy being content with what they have.

It’s not fair that dogs don’t live longer. The speed of years takes them away from us way too quickly. Maybe it is because it takes humans much longer to learn what dogs inherently know when they arrive in this life. Dogs live life with gusto and don’t waste a moment. When they are happy, they express it with every part of their being, dancing on happy paws, and wiggling every inch of their bodies in joy.  They don’t waste time being upset or holding grudges. They are too busy loving.

No matter how many more years of life Gracie has, it won’t be long enough. It won’t be long enough for me to give her all that she deserves. It won’t be long enough for me to learn all the lessons she was sent here to teach. It won’t be long enough for me to show her how deeply I love her.

My sweet girl is 8 today. Yes, she is pampered and spoiled. It is the way a white fluffy-faced soul that is pure love should be treated.
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                Pennie’s Life Lesson- or should I say, Gracie’s Life Lesson:
                When all you know how to give is love, you will be loved in return.
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#CornerofSpiritandBrave #loveyourlifenomatterwhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt  #IAmGoodEnough
YOUR TURN...        
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