Who or what inspires you to love? We don’t need a special holiday to remind us that whoever or whatever opens our hearts to love is worth celebrating. We need more love in our world.
Here is a tale of one little dog who brings joy, affection, laughter, and love into my mom’s life.
We are not sure how Jaxson began his early years, but the dog catcher knew that this little terror, I mean terrier, would make someone happy, and so, she cleaned him up and brought him to my mom, trusting that he would have a good home. It was love at first sight (or I could say bite . . . since he bit me when I tried too quickly to get close). But mom was undeterred and loved him from the very start.
It has been a love affair that has grown over 12 years. They are almost always together. Since my dad passed, Jaxson has taken over as head of their independent living household and watches out for mom, concerned if she is gone too long. When they sit in the recliner together, he paws her arm to have her move the chair back. But what has recently added a new dimension to their family is Jaxson’s love for his “baby”, a teddy bear that is the same color and size as he is.
Inanimate objects, as we know from childhood, can hold a whole lot of love. When my mom’s friend Barbara fell and was moved to nursing care, I purchased a teddy bear to bring her comfort. She loved it. And just before she passed a year later, she gave this special teddy to Jaxson, and he has loved it ever since.
What is so precious is that he takes his teddy everywhere with him. Mom, Jaxson and his ‘baby’ are a threesome sitting on the couch together. If Jaxson decides to get something to eat, he puts the bear right next to my mom for safe-keeping until he returns. And he makes sure that he cleans his ‘baby’, by licking it all over each day. Sometimes he even falls asleep with his head in the bear’s lap. At bedtime, he will take the bear by its arm and manage to get it up in the bed to sleep with mom and him. When I visit, Jaxson now includes me as part of his family, especially since I’m the one who takes him out walking every day.
My mom says: “Jaxson never complains. He loves to be with me and is such a blessing. I’d feel lost without him. He’s my partner here and I don’t feel alone.”
I can relate, having been a dog owner myself. My big German shepherd was the love of my life and my constant companion, especially on Colorado’s hiking trails. And when he was ready to depart, I gathered 15 friends at a cabin by the river, surrounding him with love as I held him in my lap.
Love is love. To give, to receive, to experience love is a gift. We all have different ways to share our affections, to open our hearts, to love.
A friend CC shares: “At a time when I couldn’t find love, I decided to BE LOVE.” And she does that beautifully in her everyday life and in loving and caring for her adorable 96-year-old mom.
How can we use our precious time as an opportunity to bring more love and joy into our interactions with others? Let’s celebrate whoever and whatever inspires us to love. It is the best gift of all to ourselves and to the world.
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