Troy Marshall

August 18, 2014

3 Min Read
A New Puppy Teaches This Old Dog New Life Lessons

I don’t know the author or even the exact quote, but I’ll paraphrase it this way: “True happiness can only be found in the pages of a book, the back of a horse, or in the arms of a woman.” To that piece of wisdom, I might add: “or the loyalty of a dog.”

I wrote last week about the loss of our dog, which was truly part of our family. Since then, we’ve had a new addition to the family – a puppy. Similar to a baby that requires parents to always keep things out of his/her reach, we’re learning that nothing left on the ground, or close to the ground, is free from possible destruction. However, we’re also learning how to laugh and smile in that way that only a puppy can evoke.

                                                

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Puppies have life figured out. They enjoy every moment and attack life with a vengeance and tons of energy; everything is new and exciting to them. Puppies enjoy everyone and everything around them but, as hard as they play, they also rest and eat a lot, and seek constant affection and attention. I think they have their priorities straight.

By being true to their own nature, puppies make us aware of what’s important in life. They learn at an incredible rate and, while they are no different from humans in that they are in the total pursuit of true happiness, they seem to be a little better at discovering it.

I’m going to try and take a few lessons from our new puppy. I’m going to try and focus on God’s purpose for my life and not let the little things bother me. I’m going to smile more and focus on those around me. I’ll also try to more freely express and share my love and devotion for those people. Most importantly, while I may be focused on long-term goals and aspirations, I hope I never lose sight of the fact that the only thing that anyone can truly do is to live in that very moment and to enjoy it to the fullest. 

In a few short days, this puppy has made everyone in our family smile a little more, and it made me realize that shouldn’t be a job left just to the puppy.

The opinions of Troy Marshall are not necessarily those of beefmagazine.com or the Penton Farm Progress Group.

 

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