Well, here I am again apologizing for taking FOREVER to write about my big girl! Things happen, we get busy, life gets in the way of remembering the most important things, the little things, the things that when added together make up this big AMAZING thing called LIFE! Tierney makes up so many of those little things, she brings joy to our lives that is palpable.
Warning - this post may be offensive or contrary to what others think, these are my opinions and you don't have to share them or read them, this is merely to vent my frustrations and to remind myself of what is right for me.....
Yesterday something big happened in the world that brought a lot of reminders to my life and made me think of everything I've gained from having dogs, all the lessons learned that I never would have received from any human. Humans are inherently flawed, they make mistakes, they forget the little things, they hurt others, they hurt themselves, they forget their purpose, they lose their way, they forget to live like dogs....compassionate, loving, tolerant, kind, joyous, generous, forgiving, happy. Dogs don't look at other dogs with disdain because of what they've done in their past, what the color of their skin/hair is, their religion, where they're from, who their family is, what they do. No, dogs don't judge other dogs based on these traits, they look at other dogs for what they are...simply dogs and, often, friends.
With the state of the world right now, I am ashamed that humans are at the top of the food chain, I am ashamed of what we have done and continue to do to each other, I am ashamed of the tenacity humans have to hurt others. It's shocking to me that the color of my skin, my religion, what I do for my profession, who I love, where I have been and where I am going can create such disdain and hate in others before they even learn my name. I am shocked that humans have fallen so far that they have forgotten to live like our fellow mammals... with compassion, love, tolerance, empathy, kindness, joy, generosity, forgiveness, happiness. Instead we turn to hate, anger, disdain, intolerance and evil when interacting with others. I read something a friend posted yesterday that said kindness is not the answer....well, from what I've learned in my short time here on Earth, what I've learned from the four most important teachers I've had....I will respectfully have to disagree!
My most valuable lessons in life have not come from humans.... they have always come from dogs. My first teacher was a Corgi named Magnus. From the time Magnus was two weeks old it was clear there was something very different about this dog, he had a spirit about him I've never seen before. When he was only a week old, before his eyes were open, we found him hanging out in the kitchen about twenty feet from his whelping box doing his own thing. When he was a little puppy, no older than 8 or 9 weeks old, he would superman jump off the bed to reach me or my mom and continually hurt his shoulders. When he got older he would sit on the back of the couch and jump on the backs of the other dogs when they were walking by, then he would run off and look back like, "Got ya!" He lived every single day like it was a gift or, as we affectionately named it, "everyday as WOW day!" When he was two and a half he was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoma and, just like that, my tenacious, vivacious, happy dog changed overnight into this frail shell of himself. But, even when he was sick, he still lived as if everyday were a gift. I will never forget the day before he died, I showed up at my usual time to the hospital to see him and he met me in the lobby happy as can be, jumping and acting his typical, non-sick self. Magnus' time on earth was quickly coming to an end...but he STILL remained joyous, happy, silly, fun, and he gave me one more "WOW" day with him!
It is clear that humans have forgotten to live with joy, happiness, and to treat everyday as a gift, everyday as a "WOW" day! I often wonder, if people lived like everyday was a "WOW" day would the hurt, pain and anger we cause each other continue? If we lived like every day was a gift, would we forget to love one another and treat one another with kindness? No, I don't think so....I think we would look at each other differently, we would look at life differently and maybe, just maybe, we would learn to value life and taking life away from another wouldn't come so easily.
My second teacher was a German Shepherd named Brear. Brear was my ultimate dream dog, I remember picking her out and having to wait two weeks until I got to bring her home...longest two weeks of my life! Brear was the epitome of perfection in my eyes. She was a big, slender, black and silver Shepherd that was full of loyalty to and love for me. I spent everyday with her, took her everywhere and ran everyday with her. Brear was loving and loyal, almost to a fault. I remember when I would do long runs with my mom and dad, my dad would be behind me, my mom would be on her bike and Brear and I would be in front. My mom would ride back and forth between my dad and me to make sure we were doing okay and give us water, and Brear would LOSE it whenever she would leave and whenever she could still see my dad behind us. She didn't want her people separated, she wanted us all to be together in our "pack." She would do whatever she could to keep us together, to keep us protected, to keep us happy. Brear taught me to be loyal to those I love and protect and cherish the love I have for those in my life.
It's clear to me that humans have forgotten to be loyal to those they love and to cherish the love they have for others. Humans have forgotten to love one another and, instead, have turned their loyalty and love towards ideologies and opinions. I wonder if we turned our love and loyalty back towards our fellow humans, would this end the extreme polarization we see today? Would those ideologies and opinions take a backseat to kindness, tolerance, and love? Yes, I think so. If we all were loyal to our fellow humans, loved one another and treated each other with kindness then our judgments and opinions of one another would turn towards tolerance, understanding, and kindness. Our differences would fade to the background and maybe, just maybe, we would realize that deep down inside we are all the same....we all want to be loved, cherished, valued, considered, understood, treated with kindness and loyalty.
My next teacher came to me by a very fortunate chance...a chance I took thanks to my mom and has paid off ever since, her name is Lana. Lana is the most darling, cute little beige dog that has become the center of my universe! Along with Lana, I got my husband Andrew and they have both added joy to my life that I am thankful beyond compare for every single day! I remember the first day I met Lana, she, Andrew, Tierney and I went for a walk along a trail in Colorado and she was TERRIFIED of Tierney. At first she hid behind Andrew's legs whenever Tierney would get close but by the end of the walk she was sauntering alongside Tierney as if they had been best friends from the time she was born. Tierney is different, she is big and full of energy and scary, but, in time, Lana came to love her and trust her more than anything. She now relies on Tierney to keep her safe, to make situations okay for her, to protect her from anything bad and to love her as her best friend and sister. We call Lana "Miss Wiggles" because she is always wiggling around when she sees us, jumping on us to tell us hello. She will get up on the bed and army crawl until she is at my face and I hug her with all my might. She is the sweetest, most loving dog and has taught me a lot about not being scared of the differences others, being tolerant and always wiggling with kindness.
It's clear to me that humans have lost their ability to be fearless of others' differences, to be tolerant of others. Humans have forgotten that our differences are what make us unique, interesting, fascinating....we have forgotten that we can learn from our differences, we should not only be tolerant of our differences but embrace them! I often wonder, if we looked at our differences as positives, if we were tolerant of one another, would we still first turn to hate, anger, and evil instead of turning to kindness, understanding, compassion, forgiveness and empathy? Would we look at others with disdain and hate for their religion, skin color, ideologies, opinions, who they love, where they've been, what they've done and where they're going? No, I don't think so. I was once told that one is not truly religious unless one is tolerant of all. I wholeheartedly believe that. If we all got over our fear of our differences and treated each other with kindness then, over time, the hatred, disdain, fear and evil would melt away. And, maybe, just maybe, we could get out of our own way and see our fellow humans for what they are...simply humans and, most often, friends.
And, last, but not least, my fourth teacher is a big German Shepherd named Tir na Nog...Tier, Tierney, Shep, Sheppy, Guisheppy, or Big Ol' Gal for short. I got Tierney only four days after the worst day of my life, the day Brear died. This little 8 week old puppy walked into my life and made me whole again. She is one for the record books....record books of craziness, joyousness, happiness, full of vigor and life, sweetness, love, goofiness, hilarity. She's full of differences that make her unique, funny, sweet, and full of life. My father-in-law calls her rain dog for her strange but funny propensity to chase and jump on grass that is blowing in the wind! She runs out the backdoor into the yard with such craziness that she scares Lana. She stands just outside the door wanting you to come join her, wanting to show you all she has found outside, wanting to share her joy and happiness with you. Tierney is a constant source of happiness, kindness, joy and laughter. She makes me laugh when we go to the dog park because dogs will be snarling and showing their teeth and Tierney will be wagging her tail and licking them in the face....as if to say, "No, we are friends not foes, silly!" She has reminded me that life is full of happiness and laughter, she has taught me not accept someone's anger and hatred as the final answer but to work through it and, to live each day with unbridled joy!
It's clear from what has happened lately throughout the world that humans have forgotten to live with joy, forgotten that life is full of happiness and laughter, and forgotten to come together to work through our differences and anger. We have learned to accept anger and hatred from others and to live with the same in our hearts. I wonder if we learned to laugh through the tough situations, to remember to be joyful, to work through anger with kindness and love, would we still see such evil acts? I don't think so. I think we would be happy, we would not turn to violence and hatred for those who do things to hurt us, we would learn to laugh and to be joyful again. And, if we could learn all of this then maybe, just maybe, humans could all be free from the exponential hurt we have and continue to suffer.
For me, these lessons are my truth. These dogs have gifted me with lessons that keep me hoping that humans can be good again someday. I sincerely hope those people who hate me for my skin color, my religion, my love, my opinions, where I've been, what I've done and where I'm going, will meet me on the sidewalk one day and not cast their gaze down but look me in the eye, because those people will be met with a smile and warm hello. And, no matter what continues to happen in this world, I will strive to remember these lessons and, if I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog and I will be as generous, kind and loving as they are.
I leave you with one last lesson from a dog...."when someone you love walks through the door, even if it happens five times a day, you should go totally insane with joy!"
CiAo,
ShAn & ShEp
