A LITTLE LIFE LATELY {Gratitude & the Foxy lil Pom}

A couple nights ago we rushed our furry little child to the emergency clinic because we noticed his behavior was very different than his usual happy and excited self. We spell out the word w-a-l-k and  t-r-e-a-t because just the mention and he flies into excitement. We knew when we asked him to go on a walk and he just laid there, something was wrong. The emergency vet gave him a quick dose of pain killer but found nothing wrong with him outside of his normal health issues. (He is epileptic and has testicular cancer.) The next day we took him in to his regular vet and she immediately noticed he has a back injury by the way he was walking. Several liver flavored medications and weeks on bed rest in a kennel was the diagnosis for our foxy lil' pom.

This little ordeal was so unplanned and having to stay home pretty regularly to watch him and administer medication regularly put his age (he's between 15 and 17 guys!!) and just how much longer we have with him into perspective. A sadness overwhelmed us. This little guy brings so much sunshine and warmth and life into our lives. It's funny how grateful was my morning devotion the next day and then stumbling across the quote below from Oprah. It all combined and got me thinking about what it means to truly be grateful - not just kind and thankful for small favors - which I am very much so. (I say please & thank you even to the rudest drive-through peeps') But to truly feel grateful. The amazing Lara Casey always says "gratitude changes everything" I believed her - but I didn't truly feel it until I realized how grateful I truly am for the last couple of years with our furry child. And perhaps this is all just ramblings and nonsense from a crazy pet-parent because we are still working on our own family - but I F-E-E-L different. That realization - turned my sadness into gratitude. I'm grateful for giving that little furry child a really good life - grateful that he has opened our heart's to being pet-parents, grateful for the light and sunshine he brings us. I just feel lucky that we adopted him - lucky that we've spent this time with him - lucky to have him no matter what little time we have left with him.

Of course my gratitude extends far beyond the joy our pet brings to our life. But I think that is another post for another timee. I feel grateful in all aspects of my life these days - especially in the -not-so-perfect ones. In fact - I can't think of an aspect of my life that is perfect, and you know what ? I'm totally and completely G R A T E F U L for that; because how boring would that be?

Here's to us without perfect lives, may we continue to grow, and have adventures; because the broken road is often the most rewarding.

love, C

Grateful Print Photo  Design by the gorgeous Anne Robin Calligraphy. Shakti Gawain quote via Oprah.