my COACH, WINNIE

My dog is one of my best coaches. She has been helping me apply some of the most important life lessons that I have been studying for years.

Winnie is 13 years old (91 in dog years), and last February, she lost her hearing and started slowing down considerably. What used to be a 3-minute ritual of letting her out in the backyard in the morning to “go busy” turned into an infuriating experience. Since she couldn’t hear us call for her to come back inside, she would get distracted and wander off. (Such a dog!) Invariably, one of us wound up angrily stomping outside to the back to get her, freezing our a$$es off and getting wet socks.

When a routine of five years is disrupted, it’s super frustrating. But…Winnie. Seriously, anyone who knows her will tell you she is the sweetest dog ever. We just had to adjust our routine.

she HELPED ME FIND A NEW WAY 

I decided to walk her on a one-mile loop in the morning. It would give me a chance to get some fresh air and a dose of exercise to start my day. It was perfect for a few days. A win-win…but it didn’t last. It was too much for her. She couldn’t make it around the loop without me dragging her. She wanted to walk soooo slowly. Dang it.

Time to pivot. I decided to walk her around the corner to a wide open area adjacent to a forest. (Have I mentioned that she will only poop when she is off leash?) It would be quick, and I would still get some fresh air.

My plan was brilliant, except for one thing. I was still walking too fast for her. See, I had been treating this activity like a box that needed to be checked every day, the same way I treat many things in my life that are, in fact, opportunities for joy. After a few days of frustration, I finally surrendered to Winnie’s plea to slow the heck down.

Now our morning walks are more of a stroll. No more rushing. And I get to experience magic every day. I imbibe the symphony of cicadas, robins, crickets, mourning doves, geese, airplanes, and the gentle clicking of Winnie’s nails on the pavement. On the windy mornings, I bask in the calming sound of the wind blowing the leaves, and on the rainy mornings, I listen peacefully to the sound of raindrops landing in the forest canopy. The part of our walk that brings the most joy is watching Winnie experience the most exciting part of her day. Watching her achy little body come to life – sniffing the obviously popular pee spots with excited curiosity, chasing after deer, freely wandering and going “busy,” and sweetly looking for me every few seconds to make sure I’m still there. Sometimes she’ll prompt me to chase her, so we play for a couple of minutes before she collapses in exhaustion. Our walks are now one of my favorite parts of the day, and they last maybe 15-20 minutes.

How We Do Everything

How we do anything is how we do everything, and my walks with Winnie are affecting other areas of my life. They are helping me to slow down. They’ve opened my eyes to how fast I have been trying to rush through my life eagerly awaiting that checked box (omg I love checking boxes!) or that next thing, all the while missing the miracles right in front of me.

I am fully aware a variation of the “stop and smell the pee” message is not new. I simply share this story to inspire you to find ONE small thing you could do a little slower. Watch the magic unfold in that small thing. I suspect you will gradually notice yourself stopping to smell the pee in other areas of your life, too. 

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