dogs, love

Beginning: Happy 2nd Birthday to My Pup, Phineas

The birthday boy lounging on a lazy weekend morning

Today is Phineas’s designated 2nd birthday (he was roughly a year when I got him) and our anniversary. As this day approached, it was hard to believe that a year has gone by since I adopted Phineas from the Humane Society and then I reflected on all that’s happened in the past year. Last Fall, I spent a lot of time getting him used to my schedule and his new city neighborhood; he was found abandoned in the woods so city sights and sounds were all new for him. We wrestled through separation anxiety; Click here for that collection of posts and the remedies we came up with thanks to our incredible trainer and friend, Gregg. And I got used to rejiggering my schedule and budget to take care of my new furry pal.

I thought about developing some variation of a top 10 list of the things Phin has taught me this year though that idea seemed overdone and truly there is just one huge lesson that Phineas has taught me that makes all of the countless others pale in comparison – Love Heals.

I’ve often heard it said that time heals all wounds, but I actually think love is a more complete and efficient healer than time. Time is a finite gift; the amount of love we can take in and give away is infinite. The only limit love knows is our desire to give and receive. Phineas can never get enough and can never give enough. He’s a wonderful role model of courage and bravery, for believing that life can always get better no matter how far down in the doldrums we are. Love is what helps us make that journey.

A year ago, he was starving and lonely, abandoned in the woods. Today, he sleeps in a warm, down-filled bed in a (cozy) penthouse apartment on the upper west side of Manhattan, has a bottomless bowl of organic food, and laps up buckets of overflowing love that are showered on him every day. He let go of his past and moved on so that he could appreciate all the love available to him in his new life.

We should all be as appreciative as he is of the gift of another day. And we can be. All we have to do is give love, receive love, and revel in the exchange. Happy birthday, Phin!

3 thoughts on “Beginning: Happy 2nd Birthday to My Pup, Phineas”

  1. Christa,

    I think both time and love can heal wounds. Both are important in this game we call life. Love and time are not mutually exclusive. Rather, love-time is a continuum; a symbiotic relationship; and interdependent.

    For example, I have to provide myself with both love and time to heal my wounds. In my case, I am still on the journey to overcome my health issues. Both love and time have helpled me on this journey.

    It is great to know about Phin. How nice of you to adopt him. It gladdens my heart to know that Phin is not homeless and roaming around on the streets. Phin has a home and you care for him. I wish Phin a long and fruitful life. What a blessing in your life, to be sure.

    Cheerio.

    Like

    1. Archan,
      I wish you speedy recovery! To be sure time and love both heal – I just love how much more efficient a healer love seems to be 🙂

      Phin is absolutely such a blessing in my life. I’m not quite sure what I ever did without him.

      Like

Leave a reply to Christa Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.