I have learned very many life lessons from the Kentucky Hush Puppies. Starting today, I will share some of their wisdom during the coming year. You might be surprised what you can learn from a dog, if you watch and listen.
I often think my "hush puppies" are smarter about life in general than I am. They seem to be able to maintain their equalibrium in circumstances that would try the patience of most people I know. Daisy and Dolly have become accustomed to traveling between "lives," one in Kentucky and another in Tennessee. I, on the other hand, still struggle a bit with having what I feel is a dual identity. I love my job and being able to spend time with my children and grandbabies, but "home" is still that big old white house where I raised my children and lived another life with my husband. It is hard to believe he's been gone four years. Sometimes the lure of that big old house pulls me over Jellico Mountain and I come home to replinish that part of me that draws strength from "home."
We have come to a decision about our New Year's Resolutions this year. The Hush Puppies are going to try to lose a couple of pounds. The vet recommends they cut out that extra treat before bedtime. They are not happy about this. Unlike their two legged counterparts, they don't understand the importance of keeping a svelte figure. It's all about the Scooby Snacks for them.
I, on the other hand, have decided to make a resolution to treat my family like dogs. That might sound strange, but I have determined that most people I know don't treat their own families as well as they treat people they hardly know. I wonder why it is that we take our own families so for granted, expecting them to overlook our faults and forgive that unguarded word, that unwelcome sarcasm, or even that silence that unintentionally creates distance?
I think the Hush Puppies know the secret. They are always happy to see me, no matter how long I've been gone. They show joy from the tips of their noses to the tips of their tails. They can hardly contain their joy when they see me, dancing around and kissing me, eager for hugs and kind words. They kiss every available inch of me they can reach, and voice their happiness, unashamedly with big "Aroooos." They always give me their best: they give unconditional love, and they live only to make me happy. That is the very least we should do for the "two legged" family we love so much.
Happy New Year from the Kentucky Hush Puppies. I hope you are treated like a dog in the coming year.
