Thanks for the Dog

Dear God,

Thanks for the dog but what I really wanted was a kid. And I don’t mean a baby goat. I feel like I need to be more specific – I really would like a child. We’ve been planning to have a baby for the last seven years. I’ve learned that things don’t always go as planned. I had a plan. I had control. I thought I had control. Then I realized I didn’t. This journey has been a roller coaster. Actually that’s not true. It feels more like a deep valley with the occasional hill thrown in just to prove life can still go up. I’ve been very focused on what I don’t have and I know that’s a problem.

The dog was a pretty unexpected gift. I wasn’t really in the market for one of those. We sort of happened upon him. I didn’t know that’s what I needed. Because of him I received an instant injection of happy. I got unbridled joy in a fur coat. He’s a mess. He’s hilarious. He’s mine. I have learned a lot from him: you need to live in the moment, you need discipline in order to not cause harm to yourself or others, you need to cuddle every day, it’s okay to show that you are scared of some things, you need to keep track of your people, life can always be fun if you look at it the right way.

Anyway, that’s what I’m trying to focus on and understand. I’m going to try and live without the “but.” I want to be content. Not complacent, just content. I am going to be happy with the now and continue to seek after good things and we’ll see where that takes us. I want to be grateful.

So seriously, thanks for this dog.