A basic need in life is love, to be loved, to give love and to be in love. I am at the time of life that offers me with a better understanding, and with this I have come to the profound conclusion that receiving and giving love is the ultimate way to bring happiness and fulfillment in life. I receive love every single day from five most loving and giving friends life could ever offer. They range from ages 9 to 12 and are full of love, excitement, happiness and adventure. Their names are Tommy, Spud, Fritz, Dex and Hampton, my friends and my life.
Tommy and Spud are brothers. Tommy is a lion at heart. He is fierce and a defender of the realm, protector of all. On the flip side, my Tommy is tender and soft with adorable ways. At a routine exam we received the devastating news that Tommy had malignant cancer and has just several months to live. Tommy sleeps most of the day now, but is still full of life in his eyes with a lot of kisses and snuggles. Spud is exactly like his name. He is round and cute. He is my soul mate. Fritz is obedient and truly understands everything we say to him. Dex is our little troublemaker with the cutest ears and loves that melt your heart. We rescued Hampton and he has brought challenges and blessings. He now fits in and is deciding to stay home and not run.
What brings love and tenderness in your life? What brings happiness to you? These are very important questions to ask yourself. As people, we are never better than the questions we can ask of ourselves. To be engaged and know yourself is the key to happiness.
I can sit for hours and watch my five boys play, fight, romp and eat. Each one of them have a uniqueness about them. Spud loves to take one piece of food out of the bowl and carry it away from the others. He rolls on the piece of food and his right paw carefully plays with the food. Then he looks around to make sure none of the others are coming over. He plays with it some more before he eats it. He will do this over and over again with one piece of food. Spud is going to be 15 years old this year and this unique way about him was there when he was just four to five months old. He hasn’t changed at all.
Tommy is so fierce as he protects and challenges every person and his brothers. But holding Tommy is like holding a baby. He cuddles and rests his head on my shoulder as he gives me kisses on my neck. Once in a while, I think on how it will be when he and is brother Spud are no longer with me. I do not feel sad, I feel blessed.
There is not one thing in this life that brings me peace like looking into the eyes of my five best friends.
Happiness, love and peace are all wrapped up in five bundles of joy for me. Now, I never use to see all of this. I never used to take the time to relax and just watch my dogs play and eat. I was always too busy for that.
But life can take its twists and turns and one day you wake up and realize you are not immortal; your life is finite, short and you want more out of it. Not just work, eat, sleep and start over again. You want to see, feel and experience all you can. The smells, the little noises, the cute ways and the tender love my boys give to me are priceless. This is happiness and peace and it brings health and wellness.
Take a good inventory of your own life. Are you going through the motions, or are you caught up in the race of time, wanting more money, working longer hours, not getting enough sleep and definitely not taking the time to see the simple things in life? I understand well because that is where I have come from. Sixty to eighty hours a week at work, taking care of a home and family, never having enough to go around, sleeping five to six hours a night and thinking I was getting enough sleep. Never, ever taking the time to relax and breathe and “smell the roses”.
I plead with all of you who are reading this, please sit down for a few minutes, take in a slow, deep breath and let it out slowly. Relax. Ask yourself what you want out of this life, what are you suppose to be doing with your life and let it ascend out into the universe. Start the journey now of self-awareness which will lead you to the road of happiness, fulfillment and love.
