Sonya Says

Over the years I have learned a few things walking with Sonya, besides the best use of plastic newspaper bags. In her own way, without too much insistence, she has proffered some very good advice and I thought I would share a bit of it with you.

1. Conserve your energy for the people (animals) and places you like the best. Sonya starts walking with me at a good clip, but she has been known to slow down, especially in hot weather, until she sees a bunny, or hears another dog barking, or we meet up with a neighbor. Then she is all tail-wagging, happy puppy ball of energy. And her attitude is often infectious.
2. Say hello to everyone. Greeting strangers is how we make friends. Before I got Sonya I used to walk by myself and hardly anyone spoke to me more than to say hello. But with Sonya, people stop and ask about her, and she is happy to have them pet her or even offer her treats. I’ve learned a lot about our neighborhood thanks to Sonya, especially the names of all the dogs that live on our street.
3. Crosswalks be damned, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. My dog is a typical New Englander; she knows where she is going and she’s going to get there the simplest way she knows how, even though on our walks our destination is the same place we departed from. But it keeps me looking for the simplest ways to do other things too. Like plan my errands, or do my chores.
4. Just because you can’t do something today, you shouldn’t let it kill your motivation to do it. So the first squirrel got away, there will be another to chase. So what if it is raining today, eventually it will stop and the sun will shine again. You should never let road blocks keep you from your real goal to be happy.
5. Things aren’t always what they seem. The two-year-old girl is running around the kitchen table to get away from the dog. The dog is not chasing the girl; the dog is chasing the cookie the girl is holding out as she runs around the table. A little careful observation is all it takes.
I know, I know, not much new here, even a few clichés. Sometimes we need little reminders of the truths we all know. And sometimes those truths mean more when they come from the one who leads me home.