Counting Up and On

Living gratefully today, I appreciate the warm morning air, singing birds, and soothing water flowing in the fountain on our front patio. Thank you to my husband Darcy for getting our outdoor space ready for the months ahead.

I also give thanks today for our dog Oliver and the birthday he had on Sunday. He is 15! We weren’t sure he was going to make it, after an episode in January and some continued aging. He has bounced back more than we thought he would and we are enjoying this blessing of time with him. I have readied myself for the day we will have to say goodbye, but I relish in a good morning snuggle and his soft snore-breath.

His fifteen years are also my fifteen years of cancer survivorship. He came into our lives in the first months following my diagnosis, so I often say Oliver and I, my post-diagnosis self, have grown up together. He’s sure been a steady friend and support on thousands of walks and quiet mornings spent in one another’s company.

One of the best lessons Oliver teaches me is to slow down. Aging is slowing him down, and in ways it is also slowing me down. My grateful living practices and mindfulness are also slowing down racing thoughts and unreasonable expectations in really healthy ways.

My physical body may be slowing down, just like Oliver’s is. But the more gentle pace in my inner world is most welcome. Slow down to experience a moment, to rest a body, mind, heart, or soul that is feeling a little tapped out. Rest is self-love of the best kind.

Oliver knows when he needs rest. He knows when he needs to stretch. I captured this picture of him on his birthday the other day. It seems to reach back to his younger self. Like age is a frame of mind for me, I guess it is for him too. As his years count up, I continue to count on his presence. Thank YOU Oliver!