Blue Ridge Country Jan/Feb 2025 - 9

nearness, right next to the soft, pillowy lungs please, is
what she desires.
It does not take much to make her happy, either.
Put your hand on a tennis ball and Paige reacts like
she's been presented with the crown jewels. For me?
Give her a tiny treat and she dances with joy. When
she can cuddle next to another dog to nap, she'll smile
while sleeping. Paige appreciates every pleasantry she
encounters. Paige is truly the queen of gratitude.
Which got me to thinking.
It could not harm us in any way to be more gratethings,
but unless she's sleeping or playing, relaxing
isn't her strong suit.
Sometimes when you least expect it, sometimes
when you're busy making progress, something happens
that upturns everything. Years pass. My friend
got arrested. Oops. That's a story for another day, but
the point is that Paige was now homeless. Paige, the
emotionally fragile, but physically stable dog is now
in jeopardy again and that kind of stress could wreck
her. What could I do? We all know what I would do. I
volunteered to house Paige while he was in jail. Once
released, my friend's circumstances changed for the
better and he got a new lease on his life but could not
take Paige back. Okay then, I guess Paige is part of
our pack officially.
Paige went from a quiet home to a house full of
dogs. Playmates! She ate well. She slept well. She
absolutely flourished. She made a best friend in my
pack, my only male, the French bulldog Dobby. At
3:30 every day they tear through the house chasing
and body slamming each other into walls. It's their
pre-dinner flurry of play and no one else participates.
No one else could keep up. When they get tired, they
throw themselves on a dog bed and quick nap until
dinner. They are truly best buds.
Paige loves Dobby, but she loves my husband Patrick
more. She loves a guy. She's pretty male-centric in her
love. I guess she remembers being saved by a guy. Guys
rule as far as Paige is concerned.
Human male attention is the
frosting on her cupcake and I will
catch her gazing longingly at him,
trying telepathically to will him to
pet her. She adores couch time,
cuddling with Patrick. She likes
me but she worships him. Paige
doesn't just love proximity; she
looks like she's trying to figure out
a way to crawl inside him. Extra
ful. I'm not talking lottery-win gratitude, I'm talking
about simple, Paige-levels of " Is that for me? You
shouldn't have! " appreciation. Whether it's a simple
treat, a quick cuddle, a little play or any positive attention,
it's worthy of a thank you.
We say thank you all the time and I think it's become
a reflex phrase rather than a thoughtful response
for me. I say thank you without realizing it
and certainly without sincerity. I hope to consciously
become more grateful. Take the time to realize what
someone's done for me and respond appropriately. Go
to bed with the realization that nice things happened
for me that day, that someone else did something to
make my life easier or to show that they're thinking of
me fondly, and appreciate how special that is. I tend
to remember the wretched, forget the fine stuff, which
is just part of my personality, but I'm working on it.
If something lovely happens, I want to stop and appreciate
it no matter how small a victory it might be.
If you read this column regularly, I thank you. I
appreciate you and hope I've given you a laugh or
two. It's a new year. It's brand new 2025. Let's show
everyone that crosses our paths that we understand
our good fortune and we are thankful for everything
that keeps us safe, healthy and happy. We may not be
able to fix everything that's wrong, but we can certainly
fix ourselves.
As for me and Miss Paige, we're just grateful to be
here.
This tiny little puppy, close to freezing to death,
was in a world of hurt. Not only was frostbite
starting to set in, but she'd been fed PCP and both
her front legs were broken. She was on a chain so
heavy, she could barely lift her head.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 9
Blue Ridge Country Jan/Feb 2025

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