Daily Archive for March 11th, 2010

This is our dog, Molly. You couldn’t pack more life into a 15 pound package. I know, I know, you’re probably thinking this is going to be one of those “dogs are like zen masters”-type posts, a la Marley and Me. Well, you’re right.

I could talk about how she is always glad to see us, how she has her priorities in order (food, sleep, walk, play, protect, and don’t worry about anything else), or any number of other lessons she teaches us. Or I could talk about how Molly is helping get us ready to be parents (less than two months now!).

But today I was appreciating how Molly keeps us in a routine. “Routine” is usually disparaged; we think of the daily grind, of punching the clock, of the boring tedium of doing the same thing over and over. But with Molly, I’ve learned to enjoy the routine of our daily walks. We live in the city without much of a yard, so we’re compelled to take her out first thing in the morning, at least once during the day, and then right before bed at night. There’s never any forgetting that routine, because Molly reminds us when it’s time for her walk.

The routine reveals the subtle changes of the seasons in unexpected ways, it unveils hidden details we would have missed just rushing past, and it creates an anchor in our day when everything else seems unhinged. Over the last few weeks, I’ve noticed the green shoots of daffodil bulbs slowly emerge.

Molly changes her habits according to the seasons, too. During the fall and spring, she’d walk until she collapsed, if it were up to her. Her curiosity is insatiable. During the coldest weeks of winter, though, she’s a homebody. I’m hardpressed to get her to go more than a block before Molly begins tugging on the leash toward home.