Whiskers of Wisdom
How our pets guide us to a fulfilling life
Jean Edelman: Great to be with you this week. This week I wish to talk about the word dog. I just want to talk about this amazing rescue pup that we brought into our family in March of this year. We’d been looking for a friend for Hoshi for quite a while. And so this new little girl – her name is Nori from her DNA that we did for her. She is part Pinscher, part Elkhound, part Beagle, and mostly Mutt.
She’s 22 pounds and she is the smartest little girl. She started using our dog door to a fence side yard on the first day she was here. She took to our routine quickly and easily. She cuddles with us at night and wakes up so excited to start the day. She makes the cutest yawns and has the loudest bark. I can hear her from one end of the house to the other.
I’ve always believed that our animals will find us. But you know what? We worked hard to bring this little girl into our lives. And we’re so lucky. I kept looking. We have taken her to the store and she will sit quietly and wait with Hoshi. I’ve taken her to a restaurant and she will sit quietly at my feet. She has adjusted so quickly to the house. It’s almost like she lived here before. It’s super hard to believe that she came from a Southern Virginia kill shelter.
We feel so lucky. She fits so well into our family. She loves to play tug of war and she loves her toys. It’s so fun to watch her go into her little box and decide what she wants to pull out next and play with. She likes sitting in the sun. She’s very timely with her meals. She knows exactly when breakfast, lunch and dinner are. She’s always very curious and brave. She will chase a butterfly or sit and watch the birds. Anything that moves she wants to chase. So the deer and the squirrels have to watch out. And that’s why leashes are very important. She’s super friendly and always wants to say hi to everyone.
We did discover that she’s blind in her left eye. So you know what it reminds us to? Think about how we introduce her to things. She reminds us that with will and determination, all things are possible. This little 22 pound bundle of joy and happiness is a game changer for us. She’s a wonderful buddy for Hoshi. They play, they run, they cuddle. They’re so cute together. It’s only been a couple of months, but I can’t imagine how an even greater dog she’s going to be over time. And we’ve also started a little bit of training and she’s so responsive and just wants to please. She is wonderful. So this little Nori girl, we hit the jackpot with her.
So my word of the week is simple, Dog.
The D is for Determination because Nori has taught us that no matter what life sends our way, we can overcome it and don’t become the it. This little dog is never worried about her eye that she can’t see out of. We as humans, we need to learn. Don’t become the “it”. Don’t become the aches and the pains and whatever it is in our life that’s holding us back. We need to learn to move past it, to grow. And that is what we do to become a better person and a better version of ourselves. Determination.
The O is for Overcome. This little dog has shown us that we can conquer all things. She was alone and surviving outside. She beat her odds and she found her way to us. We can all learn. We are not our circumstances. We can go beyond our circumstances and we can overcome.
And the G is for Gusto because that is what Nori gives every day that she is on this earth. She has a thirst and a joy for life. We can learn so much from our animals. They are our greatest teachers. Our animals teach us and heal us. And when the world goes whizzing by, the best thing to do is to sit down with them and watch the birds.
Have a great week, everyone. Enjoy your dog.