Giving Thanks
This year is the same as most that have passed before in that I have so much to be thankful for.
We are all basically healthy, happy and enjoying life. I am grateful for this.
There are a few things that do help set this year apart. Most importantly, we have a new member of our family, Lizzy. We saved her from a shelter. She came to us with a skin disease, intestinal disease and scars from having been attacked by a pit bull. I haven't yet said that Lizzy's a dog, because in two short months she has become so much more than a dog to each one of us.
Lizzy is an alarm clock for the girls each morning and for my husband on the weekends. She runs into their rooms starting with Em first and nuzzles whatever is exposed. The girls have learned to sleep facing the wall. She is their new playmate and they both love to take her into the yard to throw tennis balls or to just play chase. They never get angry with her even after she chewed the nose off of the panda that Gramma brought from China. The hamsters even love Lizzy and they aren't supposed to.
She is the official greeter for all entering our home, especially my husband when he returns from work. The girls used to run and greet him at the door and jump into his arms. I know, it sounds corny. When I was growing up the call, "Dad's home" was followed by each of us running to our rooms because you didn't want to be the first one he saw when he walked in the house. I didn't want that for my family, so from the time they were babies we greeted Daddy at the door with hugs and lots of excitement. As the girls have entered the tween years they greet Daddy with barely a nod when he gets home at night. Now, it's Lizzy's turn. She wags her entire body at the sight of his car pulling in the driveway. She jumps to greet him, her hind paws leaving the ground, as he walks through the door. It may not be quite the same as his sweet little girls running to him with their arms held wide, but it helps ease the sense of loss just a bit.
For me, Lizzy has been a lifesaver. Just as my children were needing me less and less, I have a new furry friend who will always need me. She takes me on walks and reminds me to fix dinner. When I say she is a lifesaver, I mean it literally. Her needs interrupt my research and my writing. It requires that I push away from the computer and put on my shoes and take her outside to walk around the neighborhood. I have lost 8pounds without dieting....much. I have laughed and smiled a lot more often than I usually do. She's silly and, of course, very smart. She has the most beautiful brown eyes and a combination of fur that makes her breeds difficult to determine. She isn't my first dog, but she's been the first to transcend pet status.
We are all very grateful for Lizzy.
We are also thankful for Lizzy's new yard. My Republican husband loves me so much he finally bought me some trees to hug. While we rarely, if ever, talk politics he does know how I feel. How could he not? As a nod to my feelings about the environment (and possibly the 14 years of hearing me say how much I want land) he purchased me (hehe...OK...the family) 3 acres of deciduous forest. It is truly the most beautiful forest I've ever seen. We walk it every chance we get and we have searched and searched for the perfect spot to put our new home. I am grateful for my 3 acres that I can nourish and protect. I promise to take down as few trees as possible. My wonderful tree-hugging daughters wouldn't have it any other way.
Of course, I am grateful for my family and friends. I love you all.
We are all basically healthy, happy and enjoying life. I am grateful for this.
There are a few things that do help set this year apart. Most importantly, we have a new member of our family, Lizzy. We saved her from a shelter. She came to us with a skin disease, intestinal disease and scars from having been attacked by a pit bull. I haven't yet said that Lizzy's a dog, because in two short months she has become so much more than a dog to each one of us.
Lizzy is an alarm clock for the girls each morning and for my husband on the weekends. She runs into their rooms starting with Em first and nuzzles whatever is exposed. The girls have learned to sleep facing the wall. She is their new playmate and they both love to take her into the yard to throw tennis balls or to just play chase. They never get angry with her even after she chewed the nose off of the panda that Gramma brought from China. The hamsters even love Lizzy and they aren't supposed to.
She is the official greeter for all entering our home, especially my husband when he returns from work. The girls used to run and greet him at the door and jump into his arms. I know, it sounds corny. When I was growing up the call, "Dad's home" was followed by each of us running to our rooms because you didn't want to be the first one he saw when he walked in the house. I didn't want that for my family, so from the time they were babies we greeted Daddy at the door with hugs and lots of excitement. As the girls have entered the tween years they greet Daddy with barely a nod when he gets home at night. Now, it's Lizzy's turn. She wags her entire body at the sight of his car pulling in the driveway. She jumps to greet him, her hind paws leaving the ground, as he walks through the door. It may not be quite the same as his sweet little girls running to him with their arms held wide, but it helps ease the sense of loss just a bit.
For me, Lizzy has been a lifesaver. Just as my children were needing me less and less, I have a new furry friend who will always need me. She takes me on walks and reminds me to fix dinner. When I say she is a lifesaver, I mean it literally. Her needs interrupt my research and my writing. It requires that I push away from the computer and put on my shoes and take her outside to walk around the neighborhood. I have lost 8pounds without dieting....much. I have laughed and smiled a lot more often than I usually do. She's silly and, of course, very smart. She has the most beautiful brown eyes and a combination of fur that makes her breeds difficult to determine. She isn't my first dog, but she's been the first to transcend pet status.
We are all very grateful for Lizzy.
We are also thankful for Lizzy's new yard. My Republican husband loves me so much he finally bought me some trees to hug. While we rarely, if ever, talk politics he does know how I feel. How could he not? As a nod to my feelings about the environment (and possibly the 14 years of hearing me say how much I want land) he purchased me (hehe...OK...the family) 3 acres of deciduous forest. It is truly the most beautiful forest I've ever seen. We walk it every chance we get and we have searched and searched for the perfect spot to put our new home. I am grateful for my 3 acres that I can nourish and protect. I promise to take down as few trees as possible. My wonderful tree-hugging daughters wouldn't have it any other way.
Of course, I am grateful for my family and friends. I love you all.
posted by B. Muse at
11/24/2005 01:09:00 PM
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