It's the Heart that Counts

When my children (the human variety) were small, they'd often bring me gifts and surprises and little treasures of which they were very proud and in which the found great joy in giving.

Fist-fulls of dandelions come to mind.

Now, mind you, dandelions make my eyes redden, swell, and water (and not with tears of joy), and they make me sneeze, but you can bet I didn't tell my kids that at the time. I just received their precious offerings each time with a huge smile, an enthusiastic hug, a sincere "thank you," and a "how thoughtful of you to think of Mommy!"

So what if I'm allergic to dandelions! Their gifts were from the heart; it was their love and joy and generosity of spirit that mattered. I wanted to affirm that every chance I got!

And so it goes with our puppies. :o)

I've been thinking about Pinot, who just turned one year old, and Tuc, the little imp, who's all of 3.5 months old. It's way too easy to rush their development. I'm learning to treasure (and giggle over) their attempts to please us, no matter what the outcomes of their attempts may be.

You see, they're doing the best they can, appropriately for their ages. And while I may be less-than-thrilled with their "dandelions" as such, I find great joy in their spirits.

Take Pinot's learning to jump off the dock, for example.

Here's Kenya's jumping style for comparison:



Isn't she gorgeous?!

Now, here's Pinot's jumping style from the very same place just seconds later (she's so eager to please us, and she SO wanted to jump like Kenya):



Yes, this is actually her idea of a leap!

Well, maybe it was a dive. :o)

Okay... so it wasn't a bouquet of roses (look at Don's face!), but I'll take her dandelions any day of the week, especially when I look beyond the jump itself to the spirit behind the jump.

Sweet precious girl! She's so eager to learn, and she tries so hard. Eventually her growing body will catch up to her intellect. But in the meantime, we'll just have to take her heart for what it is (and ignore the outcomes for a time).

Same goes for little Tuc, even more so. Last weekend when he grew tired of swimming, he just couldn't wait to bring me these precious treasures he found:


Dad's shoe:


Dad's sock (notice Dad's shoe on the end of the dock top left in the picture):


Dad's hat and glasses (yes, those are his $300 bifocals in the cap Tuc is carrying):


Tuc was just so proud of himself for finding Dad's things! And he brought them right to us (to Don first, who was in the water, so Tuc left them on the dock), and then to me.

At least he didn't drop them in the lake!

;o)

What a guy!

:o)

You know, in our achievement/performance-oriented world, it would be easy for me to get frustrated. But what I manage to see more and more as the years go by is the heart behind the attempt to please us.

Their willing, innocent, eager-to-please hearts warm my heart; they make me smile.

I think that's why I'm enjoying Pinot and Tuc so much these days. I'm relishing their puppyhoods, maybe because I'm learning that puppyhood is a time to treasure and giggle through (just as childhood is). It's nothing to get worked up over, angry with, or frustrated about. There's enough in life, without puppy stuff, to take seriously. Child-like antics aren't one of them.

Besides, they'll grow up soon enough. Their wide-eyed wonder and enthusiasm will never be the same once they mature (though Labs as a breed keep their eagerness to please us throughout adulthood -- part of why I so love the breed). I may as well enjoy it while I can.

A sense of humor and a little patience go a long, long way toward building solid, trusting relationships in the long run (human and canine).

And it keeps the human blood pressure down. :o)

Besides, I can always use a few more laughs.

'Til next time,
Joan
(who's enjoying LOADS of chuckles over Tuc's antics today; let's just say they've included a bowl of ceral with milk, a roll of aluminum foil, the TV remote control, a bag of tortilla chips from the pantry, and on uprooted potted plant on the deck!). :o)