This morning while walking the pups, I told Cooper how much I love him. It's something he's used to hearing because every day I make a point of sharing with him just how much I do. In fact, I always include my pups when I do my daily ‘gratitude list’.
Today however, the love and gratitude was specifically about the kindness, consideration and compassion Cooper shared for Chica, his partner in crime.
This past weekend we spent an hour and a half at the beach. What a blessing that was! A mild winter day in BC with overcast skies and mild temperature, the sun peeked out occasionally and the raindrops appeared only in the morning for a short period.
Pipers Lagoon is one of the most beautiful places on Vancouver Island. It's a rocky beach with sandy shores that attract all sorts on any given day. The diehards, including myself, are the ones that hang out at the beach, regardless of how brisk or breezy the days are in the winter time.
Dogs are welcome to be off leash during the off-season which allows them the freedom to streak along the shore line, jump in the water, climb over the jagged rocks and hills and run through the forested trails on the knoll. It's an incredible place.
I prefer to not be like most everybody. With that in mind Chica, Cooper and I migrated to the right-side path to the beach and decided to forge along the shore to see how far we could go before we ran out of beach to walk on.
The pups were in their glory: running, jumping, climbing and walking up and down over the rocks and the tree trunks. Occasionally they'd run up the cliffs as far as they could go checking out all the scents of the wildlife. They were enjoying the sense of adventure, being in nature and exploring parts of the beach they'd never been to before.
At the furthest point we could travel, we lucked into a beautiful oasis: a hidden cove surrounded by boulders and large pieces of driftwood that had floated in from a log boom.
Chica scampered on the beach with a stick in her mouth, eyes wide open and excited to have fun. Cooper was dashing back and forth to the ocean, jumping into the waves as they crashed against the shore and then running back to the beach. He rolled on his back with his feet in the air, barking to share his excitement.
Once in a while, Chica would dash off from playing on the beach and climb up onto the boulders in an attempt to get closer to the water where the sea-lions were playing. We couldn’t see them, however I could hear them and so could she. Although determined to jump in and play with them, she would retreat every time I called her back for her safety.
The next day Chica started limping and favoring her right paw. I examined it and discovered that she had cut her pad on the barnacles. Ouch, poor girl! What an impact that has had on our daily morning walk, usually a minimum of an hour. Chica in particular, is insistent on the morning routine as part of doing her 'business'. Without at least a half hour of movement the only thing she has is a quick pee!
Yesterday’s walk was shortened by 50 minutes as she very gingerly stepped on her right paw until she could pee and go home. Both Cooper and Chica are high energy, as am I. We walk daily as part of our regular routine and we all love it. We have often walked for hours and a morning without our walk is like a morning without coffee for the caffeine addict.
Cooper endeared himself to me yet again as I noticed how he paced his ten minute walk to support and suit Chica's limp. Generally, they are both eager to move quickly and get on with things. Cooper is always on the move, quite often walking ahead of Chica, eager to be the first to sniff all the fascinating discoveries along the way.
Today, Cooper’s enthusiasm was tempered, as he slowed down to match Chica's level of mobility. He walked calmly alongside her -- almost in step with her during the entire walk. It became about what was best for Chica, not about Cooper’s wants or needs. Usually he seeks only to satisfy his anticipation, interest or curiosity in the world. Today it was about offering support, understanding and patience for Chica’s level of activity.
Cooper shared his love, respect and compassion for Chica as he walked alongside her at a calm, matching pace and I thought to myself, ‘Cooper, what a beautiful gift you've given to Chica.’ His gifts of kindness and understanding, along with love, respect and compassion are the key elements that embody the very essence of our own humanity.
I AM so grateful to have witnessed the unspoken love I saw today.
The lessons continue...................................
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