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I'm a children's author. Animals are a constant source of writing material for me. They are also my heart!

Patience is a Virtue

>> Saturday, January 29, 2011


In the photo above we have Annabelle and Sammy simultaneously chewing on their own Nyla bones. Maddie is dozing on the couch. Since she has no teeth, she can't chew on bones of any kind!

But this post isn't about Maddie or her lack of teeth. And it's not about Nyla bones either. This post is about patience and how animals have more than I do.

I always want to rush into things and make things happen before it's time. I want my dogs to get along. I want to ride Tango as well as my trainers. I want to write the best story ever in thirty minutes. Then I want the publisher to read it and respond in a week. I don't want much!
If I haven't learned anything else from animals, I've learned that all good things are worth waiting for and that not all things happen overnight. That doesn't mean that I don't do things spontaneously, because that's my personality and I do. What it does mean is the best things in life often take some time, work, and effort to get.

Just look at these two dogs. When Sammy first came I fed them him in a separate room from the girls because he had food aggression issues. Annabelle and Maddie had earned their feeding places and they weren't about to give them up. Slowly but surely Sammy and the girls warmed up to each other. They slowly learned to respect each other's space and with that respect came trust.

The first time I saw Sammy and Annabelle this close together with bones, my instinct was to jump up and move one of them farther away. Instead, I waited and watched. Somehow in the midst of chaos, my own little pack of dogs is helping me to learn some patience of my own.

The usual me would say, "Isn't that amazing?" to end this post. But frankly, anyone who knows animals, knows it's not amazing at all. My dogs and horses teach me something new everyday. I just have to be patient enough to process what I'm learning!

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Adapt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."
I need to get to know Mother Nature better. Seems that Sammy and Annabelle already know her well.

11 comments:

Two French Bulldogs January 29, 2011 at 9:28 PM  

agree. Mom almost jumped up when we stole each others bone. But we taught her patience too
Benny & Lily

Tweedles -- that's me January 30, 2011 at 2:18 AM  

I know what your saying is true.
Its just one step at a time to get there.
love
tweedles

CATachresis January 30, 2011 at 4:56 AM  

You're so right. Our pets do need time to adapt and it can't be hurried. There are things going on that we don't pick up on.

It's taken Austin over three years to get me trained lol. I've now learnt that when he sits in the doorway to the conservatory, he wants out! He keeps his back to me, but his ear follows me around the room and he will wait and wait .....

I'm so glad Sammy has made himself at home :)

Kat January 30, 2011 at 9:37 AM  

Well put. Patience is one of life's many lessons. I have to remind myself of that everyday. Especially this week, since I have been down with a virus, remembering to let it run it's course tried my patience. Thanks for the reminder.

Unknown January 30, 2011 at 10:16 AM  

At age 62, I surely am still learning patience!

Sailor's Mom January 30, 2011 at 12:37 PM  

Jib here. Mom just got tears in her eyes. What did you do? Now she is smiling and hugging me. What did I do?

Anonymous February 1, 2011 at 7:51 AM  

Pois e realmente um programa maravilhoso ver o desfile de 20 de setembro em Piratini. Em 2007 eu fui pela primeira vez assisti-lo e fiquei emocionada, e um desfile muito lindo feito com alma por cada um daqueles gauchos que la vivem. Vale a pena..

Jann February 4, 2011 at 11:28 AM  

It is so true about having patience with our animals. It is great watching them and seeing how they react to one another and how they talk to each other in their own ways as Tango and Ebony did the other day. After they did...they continued to walk and then both pinned their ears. I wonder what was said in their conversation!! I am sure they will have many more!!

Parsley February 6, 2011 at 1:45 PM  

Sounds like me and my pack.

Miss Janet February 6, 2011 at 4:03 PM  

That is so sweet! I should post a pic of our Moose. I mean dog!

:)

Janet

www.homeward4.blogspot.com

Sandy February 15, 2011 at 10:11 AM  

Making rounds this am from Bridge and Beyond. Nice post. I relate not through the eyes of animals/pets but through my yarn. Everytime I start something I'm anxious to see it finished. But, it must take time and evolve one stitch, one row at a time.

Sandy

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