When my Jack Russel was just a puppy, we took him to this fair for dogs. They had a place for getting dogs microchipped. They had various vendors. They even had a place where we could get a short massage for our dogs.
We came to this one place. They gave us some really good free leashes. We still have them fourteen years later! They were also giving away tennis balls. My Jack Russel was fascinated by the balls. He couldn’t take his eyes off them. His eyes seemed to sparkle when he saw one bounce up and down. The balls really were for larger dogs who could hold the balls in their mouth better, but they gave us a ball. My Jack Russell opened his mouth as wide as he could, and he figured out how to play with a regular sized tennis ball. We were all amazed at how he took to it. He would drop it and catch it in his mouth.
This evening, I took one of my other dogs into the backyard to do her business. After she was done, I let her go inside. I looked up at the sky and was enjoying the way the sky has that pink tint it gets at dusk right before the sun sets. When I looked back down, my Jack Russel was staring at me. I showed him my empty hands and told him that I didn’t have a ball. He turned, looked around the yard, found one, and brought it to me. I spent the next fifteen minutes playing fetch with him. He’s fifteen years old and his eyes still sparkle when he sees the tennis ball.
I couldn’t help thinking that there was a life lesson there. It is relatively simple. When he sees that ball, he is in the moment. He isn’t thinking about the past or the future. He isn’t worrying about life’s meaning. He is simply enjoying the ball. With my OCD, it is really hard for me to shut off all the thoughts in my mind, but I think my Jack Russel is showing me that sometimes, it is a good idea to just find something about life to enjoy and be in that moment. In other words, stop and enjoy the ball every once in a while.
My faith saved me. May God’s peace reside in all of our hearts.
