Thankful for Dogs

Every day I am thankful for dogs.  I am grateful for their wagging tails and smiling faces.  I appreciate their love of life.  I am heartened by their enthusiasm each morning and their peaceful rest each night.  I am inspired by their resilience, strength, and faith in humanity.

I am thankful that my house is littered with dog toys, dog beds, and dog hair, because it reminds me that material stuff is, well, immaterial.  I am cheered by the stuffing torn out of toys, spread throughout the house, although I have often wondered how they get so much stuffing into that small toy.

I am fortified by the slow ambling walk with “Grandpa” Orson, or the move quickly from one smell to the next, jog with Xuma.  I am grateful that Orson and Xuma want to cuddle on the sofa each night.  I am even thankful for the muddy paw prints, funky farts, and Orson’s drool on the kitchen floor.

I am reassured by the people who care for and rescue dogs in need.  I am encouraged that, like dogs, one should never give up faith in humanity.  Dogs remind us that life is good; in return we can make a dog’s life good.  I would love to hear why you are thankful for dogs.