Arise in the morning
Pasha in April 2005, already turning a bit grey just before his eighth birthday.
“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love …” ― Marcus Aurelius
When I looked back at the post that was published one year ago today (written exactly one week before it was published) I was surprised to find that I had made casual mention of having been out for a walk with Pasha the previous evening. I had no way of knowing when I wrote that post that he would die less than a week later on the morning it published.
Seeing the post again recently and realizing for the first time that my blissful ignorance of his coming death was documented on the day we lost him, I felt happy that he was able to enjoy almost every minute until he was no longer able to draw breath.
Mornings are very hard for me, but they were Pasha’s favorite time of the day. Normally rather sedate (unusually so for a Schipperke, we were often told), Pasha was full of lively joy in the mornings, and it was contagious enough that he always made it a bit easier for me to get up. I really miss that friendly morning greeting each day.
On New Year’s Eve in 2011, for reasons I have now forgotten, I had my camera in hand when Jeff sent Pasha upstairs to summon me for breakfast. I decided to make a brief video of what was a fairly typical Pasha morning, and though I was not able to capture one of the full-fledged romps he used to enjoy with Jeff, I did catch enough of it to give you an idea how Pasha would celebrate those York mornings.
It’s amazing to me to watch this and realize he was over 14½ years old when this was filmed. He was truly a canine “senior citizen” by then, but what energy and zest! It’s been one year ago today that he left us, and though we hope to adopt another dog when our lives stabilize a bit, there will only ever be one Pasha. We miss him, and we always will.
Chances are you have at least one animal friend who gave, or still gives, the kind of companionship that is rich with the best life lessons, short on lectures but long on fun. I wish you happy memories of them today!
One year ago today:
This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: animals, appreciation, attitude, dogs, energy, fun, gratitude, joie de vivre, joy of living, lessons, mornings, pets, Schipperke, thanks, zest
Defeat Despair 
What a delightful morning romp that was! I can see how that would have the power to get you out of bed in the morning!
Thank you for sharing that, Julia.
You’re welcome! I’ve finally reached the point where I can watch it and feel more happy than sad at the memories.
Julia,
Yes, our pets are special in a unique way. They bring us joy, smiles and laughs at their antics and provide stories that enrich any gathering of family. As well, at our darkest moments they are a comrade, in that they comfort and carry us through when we feel most alone, with no need for words when they serve no purpose. They are a perfect companion that God graces when all that is needed is an unconditional loving presence in emptiness.
-Alan
Alan, I agree! I think our domestic animals (dogs, cats, birds and other pets) and for that matter, even some of our “wild” animals, are truly gifts of God to us. They might as well be wearing a tag around their necks, “From God, with love.” 🙂
Amen.
Aw, what a fun video! Pasha was quite the energetic senior citizen dog and it’s entertaining to watch him and Jeff romp around. I loved seeing this!
Yes, I love the video. It brings back so much of Pasha’s lively spirit. There was nothing in our lives I can think of that so consistently brought us joy. All the fun of a baby and very little of the worry.