When I rise up
let me rise up joyful
like a bird.
When I fall
let me fall without regret
like a leaf.
- Wendell Berry
Monday, May 23, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tough Love
So, Sam hasn't been walking quite as well or as much as he was a month or so ago. He just saw the chiropractor on Saturday and was walking better on Monday than he had in weeks. He is getting up a bit easier and walking more steadily.
Sometimes, though, Sam will be lying down and start barking at me to do something. Sometimes it's, "Get me a drink of water!", or "I want my dinner!", or "I want to go somewhere else!", and sometimes I don't know what the barking means. Several times a day, I let Sam bark. And bark. And bark... And often, he will get up and go get or do what he wants. To me, this is tough love. If I do everything for Sam, he will lose the ability to do things for himself. I have watched him trying to stand up and waited and watched and waited and watched as he attempted or planned his attempt. Sometimes it's hard to watch. My deal with Sam is that if he can't get up or walk and he at least tries, or tries to try, I'll help him do anything he needs to do. Though even then I try to only help as much as he needs and not any more than he needs.
This might sound harsh to some people, I know that's a possibility. I also know my Sam and I'm listening to him all the time, even when I'm "just" letting him bark. I know that he'll tell me when it's all too much for him. I know he'll tell me when he's done trying. So far, it's not too much for him and he's not done trying and I sure do love him - toughly.
Sometimes, though, Sam will be lying down and start barking at me to do something. Sometimes it's, "Get me a drink of water!", or "I want my dinner!", or "I want to go somewhere else!", and sometimes I don't know what the barking means. Several times a day, I let Sam bark. And bark. And bark... And often, he will get up and go get or do what he wants. To me, this is tough love. If I do everything for Sam, he will lose the ability to do things for himself. I have watched him trying to stand up and waited and watched and waited and watched as he attempted or planned his attempt. Sometimes it's hard to watch. My deal with Sam is that if he can't get up or walk and he at least tries, or tries to try, I'll help him do anything he needs to do. Though even then I try to only help as much as he needs and not any more than he needs.
This might sound harsh to some people, I know that's a possibility. I also know my Sam and I'm listening to him all the time, even when I'm "just" letting him bark. I know that he'll tell me when it's all too much for him. I know he'll tell me when he's done trying. So far, it's not too much for him and he's not done trying and I sure do love him - toughly.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Well, It's May...
...and Sam's still here. He's sound asleep and having a great dream right now. His sides are huffing and puffing and he's making little dream bark noises.
If you had asked me in December what my dream was, I might have said, "That Sam is still here in the spring." - it seemed that unlikely then. So, my dream came true, I guess... I think Sam's lesson for me is to dream what seems impossible so that I can be amazed when it comes true - and then dream another dream.
He's almost 16 and a half years old now - and still dreaming...
The Sam of It All...
If you had asked me in December what my dream was, I might have said, "That Sam is still here in the spring." - it seemed that unlikely then. So, my dream came true, I guess... I think Sam's lesson for me is to dream what seems impossible so that I can be amazed when it comes true - and then dream another dream.
He's almost 16 and a half years old now - and still dreaming...
The Sam of It All...
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