Gratitude Journal - Week 4 - September 3, 2019

This week I get to focus my gratitude on a particular family member. 

Given I already wrote about Keith and I don’t want to play favourites with my boys, I’m gonna focus this week’s post on the most loved and neutral member of the family, Kona!

I don’t often post about my dog as I share her with my ex. So like my kids, I get her 50% of the time. When I do have her though, it’s such a gift. She’s 10 years old and born on my birthday, coincidentally. 

Kona is a schnoodle - a schnauzer-poodle cross. Doodle cross-breeds are becoming increasingly popular in Vancouver but it’s still fairly rare to see a schnoodle.

Her temperament is perfect for a young family. She’s gentle and affectionate, playful yet can sit with you for a long time. Her ears are the most expressive part of her. They flop when she runs which melt my heart and when she’s inquisitive her ears turn into satellites. Often I’ll find her sitting up, alert, listening for food sounds or discussions of a walk - and one ear will flop down while the other perks up and rotates like she can determine the location of the source. 

She’s super intelligent (thanks to the Poodle side) and very protective (thanks to her Schnauzer side). That said, she doesn’t bark for no reason. Most of the time, in fact, she’s very quiet. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better breed for our family. 

And to think we originally set out to adopt a cat. That is, until we discovered that both boys were allergic and hence the beginning of discovering hypoallergenic animals - but specifically dogs.

We’re incredibly blessed to have Kona in our lives. I’ve learned, as she is my first dog, what receiving absolute unconditional love feels like. Unconditional love from a dog is even more pure than love that comes from another human being. I almost feel like dogs have zero capacity to be mad or frustrated with you. Their hearts are always bursting and they’re always beyond excited to see you, even if you’ve only been away for an hour. It’s like seeing you for the first time all over again. If anything, I actually think Kona has taught all of us how to be better human beings - and the importance of love, empathy and compassion.