A Year of Gratitude – February 19, 2024
My gratitude was wrapped up in this look from Penny Lane today. In the moment when I needed it most, she turned her head to look at me, took a deep sigh, and stared right through my soul.
Pets are very in tune with their owners, they seem to be able to sense when we need them. She certainly does. While I have been fortunate to spend most of my life in the company of dogs, none of them have been closer to me than she is.
I am always grateful for her company. I’m never alone with Penny Lane in the farmhouse, even if I wanted to be. She is always right behind me, right beside me, or seemingly underfoot as I make my way through the day.
Sometimes I wish for a bit of space. It would be nice to move about in the kitchen without needing to step over and around her. Right about the time that I wish for that space, I remember that I am lucky to have her as a companion, of how much she means to me. In an instant, that wish fades away and is replaced with my gratitude for spending my days with her.
It is amazing how much a pet can fill the empty spaces in life. I’ve been so fortunate to have Penny’s company during the last few years, to have her do exactly what she did today when she could sense that I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by an unpleasant situation.
That look, the sigh, and just the knowledge that she was here helped to pick me up and out of that feeling. She gave me a reason to stop for a moment, to look around, and to see that the sun was shining and there was a whole day ahead of us.
It really is the little things that often make the difference in our days. I was grateful for this one today. I set out to try and be the small bit of brightness, the tiny delight in someone else’s day, to pay that generosity forward and hope that I can help them to take notice of the beauty and sunshine all around them. It’s there, but sometimes you just need a little help to find it.
I hope that your day gave you a tiny delight to be grateful for and that it treated you with kindness.
This post is part of our A Year of Gratitude Series. You can find the introduction, inspiration, and entire year’s gratitude’s posts here.