“Your entire life only happens in this moment. The present moment is life itself. Yet, people live as if the opposite were true and treat the present moment as a stepping stone to the next moment – a means to an end.” – Eckhart Tolle

How easy it is to forget each moment’s importance and keep running from thing to thing until one day you’re old and realize you missed most of your journey. These little steps are so important.

Today, on a cooler-than-normal July morning, I sat on my back deck. There was a slight breeze, and the sun was beginning to make its way past a neighbor’s tall tree to warm the side of my face. At my feet was my dog. What a perfect life moment. I am a lucky girl!

Stella arrived on August 7, 2020. She was a pandemic puppy. Friends had driven her from a breeder about five hours away. She was not the best traveler then but was cradled lovingly while expelling the contents of her little belly. True friend, many thanks for doing that.

I had initially tried the rescue route, naively assuming it would be a simpler process and address the need for these homeless animals. I was wrong. Not only was the competition stiff, with millions of housebound people harboring the same thinking, but the process was like applying for some top executive position with full disclosure of background, accomplishments, and references. I often made it to the reference process only to never hear from the places again.

On day 1, I put the collar on my 10lb bundle of joy and attached the leash. This would be just a little walk around the block to get her used to the new hardware. I envisioned this idyllic scene of us walking, passersby smiling, and other dogs copping a little get-to-know-her sniff. It was not like this. Walking her was like taming popping popcorn. She was everywhere; no one even came close to us, let alone give her a little pet or sniff. This was when I learned that puppyhood was a process with many life steps to enjoy.  Patience, love, and attentiveness would be required to ensure that when I reflect on this memory, I will have been an active participant and not just wish I had.

Four years later, I put the collar on my 65lb bundle of joy and attached the leash. Most days, walking is good, but we still have our challenges. The happiness she has brought me dramatically outweighs the effort needed to raise a new being. Walking keeps me young and is a level of exercise I should be able to continue long into my retirement.

For those without a dog, the Humane Society and dog rescue shelters are great places to give love, exercise, and make new memories.