How Having a Dog Changes Your Perspective

If you've followed this blog for awhile, you've already met Lyric. But if you haven't, here he is:

Ain't he cute? (Yes, yes, he is.)

I wasn't sure how I'd acclimate to dog life as an adult. In fact, I was a bit nervous that the bulk of responsibilities would fall on me and that it would be a major cramp on our lifestyle.

And, to be honest, having a dog has changed a lot of things about Ashley's and my life, but not how I thought it would. While inconvenient at times, having a dog has really changed my perspective on life, mostly for better.

Lyric and I spend most days together. I work at home, and he sits next to me. Most days. The other day, however, I had to crate him, because he chewed up my brand-new "Super Grover" T-shirt. (No, I'm not explaining that statement.)

I woke up this morning to him giving me kisses in bed. ("Kisses" is a nice way of saying a gratuitous amount of slobbery, wet licks across the face.)

I take him for a walk usually twice a day. Often, he just walks by my side. But sometimes, he'll chase an acorn or a leaf or even sometimes an actual animal (like a squirrel).

He's unpredictable. Some days, he just lounges around and doesn't do much all day long, and other days, he runs around like an uncontrollable maniac. You never know what mind he'll be in. Every day is a new adventure.

What I'm learning from Lyric in this season is how to be more flexible in life, to go with the flow, and to even be present for the extraordinary moments in everyday life.

He helps slow me down when I need to focus and speeds me up when I'm dragging behind.

He teaches me to pay attention, because you never know what you might miss. (Whether it's a first-seat opportunity to see a piece of your wardrobe eaten or simply enjoying the beauty of nature.)

We've been blessed in a lot of ways with Lyric, but even with his idiosyncrasies and occasional outbursts of energy, we adore him. Yes, having a dog is a big responsibility and sometimes a pain in the butt; however, for some crazy reason, I'm okay with that. In fact, I kind of like it.

It's a bit like marriage, I guess, in that I would rather have the challenge of adapting to someone new in my life than to have never had the opportunity to know that person. And when you really get down to it, once love becomes a factor, you find that you care far less about things and stuff than you thought you would.

All right, all you pet owners: How has your animal changed your perspective on life?