A dog’s gratitude

I’m pretty sure I want to be like my dog.

A close friend and mentor of mine frequently counsels me to include gratitude as part of my daily routine.  Giving thanks for what you have is a great way to recognize all you have going for you and what a privilege it is just to be you.

Lawyers have a special kind of privilege.  We’re some of the ones people call at their worst times, be it divorce, death, injury, or some other personal loss.  It’s a terrible privilege.  We can get called on to salvage something from the wreckage of an event or even a whole life, and that’s a big responsibility, but it’s also a reason to be grateful for the trust of our clients.

I’ve learned a little about gratitude in the past couple of weeks from my newest best friend (warning, cute dog picture to follow):

Meet Rupert.  He’s a nine-year-old Great Pyrenees, and he came to live with me just over two weeks ago.  Before he came to me, he spent about three months living in a small kennel, where he got to go outside for an hour or two per day and spent the rest of his time in about 18 square feet of space.  That’s not the fault of the folks at the kennel, who had lots of other dogs to deal with as well, and it’s not the fault of Rupert’s then owners, who were traveling to care for family.  It was what it was.  But every day now, Rupert seems to wake up in the morning, wagging his tail and looking around him with an expression that seems to say, “Yep, still here.  This is good.”

And that’s something we could all use learning.  Waking up, realizing you’re still here, and that there are people who need you is a good thing. When people turn to you in their darkest hours, that’s a reason to be grateful for that trust and for the ability to try to help.  Winning and losing, sure it’s there, but being able to share others’ hopes and dreams, their fears and worries–that’s something to be thankful for.  The privilege of showing up each day is its own reward.  Any dog can tell you that.