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My pup, Phineas, is finally back to his usual energetic, curious self. He has an allergy to the salt that’s heavily used on the pavements in New York City. The salt, or some chemical in it, gave him sores on his little legs, cut up the pads on his feet, and made him sick after he licked some of it from his paws. He was sluggish and didn’t eat much, all of the same signs Sebastian (the pup my sister owned) showed shortly before his passing. I rushed Phin to the ER on the morning on New Year’s Eve. As I was taking him downtown to the hospital, I sat on the subway train, head down on his carrier, tearing up. I knew I loved him, but I didn’t realize how much He’s come to mean to me in 4 short months until I started to worry that I might lose him.
After allowing the salt to pass through his system, learning how to carefully clean his paws, getting him a warm wool sweater, and discovering the miracle balm Musher’s Secret (great protection for dogs who won’t wear booties), Phineas is out in the world frolicking with the best of them. [I must insert an endorsement here for the PetHealthStore, a local shop in my neighborhood where I got the sweater and learned about Musher’s.] He likes the snow well enough, though I can tell that the novelty of it has worn off. He wants the spring – the grass, the leaves, and the warmth. Last weekend we hopped around Central Park, clamoring over snow banks many times taller than Phin, to get to the few grassy areas that the melted snow had exposed. Phin rolled around in them, thinking warm Spring thoughts. He saw some fall leaves around a tree trunk and he got so excited to run through them that you’d thought he’d just seen a long lost friend.
We sat on a rock for a few minutes and basked in the warmth of the afternoon winter sun on our faces. Spring is a long way off, but Phin and I are already dreaming of daffodils and butterflies and the re-birth of a bright, green world. For now, we’ll take whatever bit of grass and dried leaves we can get. Spring is where you find it.
The image above reminds me that resilience can be attained in any environment. The image can be found here.
This blog is part of the 2011 WordPress Post Every Day Challenge.
Published by Christa Avampato
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
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This post is available as a podcast on Cinch. 
Christa Avampato 