Walking the dog

My dog needs to be walked every day. He is energetic and likes to chew, so without a daily walk, I run the risk of seeing something I care about being shaken and bitten. I was busy this week and it was a challenge to carve out the time to take him for a walk. I managed every day to get him out on one or the other of the circuits around the house, but, for me, the walk was something to check off on my to-do list.

Strange as it sounds, I think Bode knew this. We were both business-like on those walks, striding purposefully and not sniffing the grass (one of his favourite things to do, not mine). Today I had time and Bode seemed to bide his as well. We woke in the morning and sat at the top of the stairs. I petted him and talked to him. We went downstairs. He ate and I ate. I let him into the backyard and he was scratching to get back in within minutes. I read the newspapers and talked on the phone while he found patches of sunlight to lie in. I went rock climbing and he napped.

When I came home from climbing, I expected Bode to be full of energy and bounding through the house. He was calm and just followed wherever I went. I did a few household chores with the plan to take Bode on a long walk once done. As I neared the end of my tasks, Bode began to demonstrate his anxiousness for his walk. He looked longingly at the window. If I walked toward the closet, he would jump, hoping that I was heading toward his leash.

Soon enough, we went for a walk. I took a path I never have before. October light streamed through the trees, the leaves on the ground were redolent with the smell of fall, and we crunched our way through the river valley. I felt peaceful and composed - a far cry from the jittery self I was just a few days earlier. I felt happy, and as I walked, I noticed small tears at the sides of my eyes. I've noticed this before when I walk the dog and usually attribute the tears to the wind. But, there was no wind today. I believe they were tears of joy. And I felt joy because I had time to reflect while I was walking the dog. Those moments of just being with myself were enough and I am glad that Bode needs to be walked everyday. The walks are just as much for me as they are for him.