Thank Heaven for the Little Creatures

As I was laying in bed this morning, thinking of the Christmas Day ahead of me, I intentionally tried to focus on the things I appreciate. This year is very difficult for me as it's the first time that I've not been able to see my dear family members: my son, mother, and brother, as I moved across the country this past summer and, for the first time in my 40 years, I'm not in Madison, WI at all for the holidays. It's easy to get depressed and just want to sleep all day, or over eat, or equally non-productive activities, none of which solve my problem of missing my loved ones. So today I decided to just think of the things that I have that I do appreciate, those things that bring me happiness in the here and now. This is a good exercise for me, with my Year of Happiness right around the corner. Laying there, I felt the warm soft fur of Bosley against my feet. Pure bliss. I am so thankful for these little (and not so little) creatures that are a part of my family. My dogs are a huge joy in my life. To hold them, pet them, smell them, play with them, to talk to and, yes, even confide in them at times is a very great pleasure of mine. The love I share with my pets is something I treasure. Their love is innocent, simple, and unconditional. They often help put things in perspective for me when things feel overly complex. And, when I'm sad, or feeling particularly lonely, they need only lick my face, wag their tails (or their entire rear-end in Bosley's case), or paw playfully at me to bring a smile back to my face. And today, all he needed to do, was sleep quietly at the foot of the bed cuddled up by my feet.