I believe in dog slobber. I believe in tumbleweeds of dog hair caught under my radiator. I believe in having to watch, carefully, where I step in my back yard. I believe in stepping on a wet ratty squirrel toy in my clean white socks. I believe in these things because I believe that life happens, beautiful moments happen, love happens in imperfect moments. These moments can not be bought. They can not be ordered over the counter at Starbucks, can not be afforded on a payment plan through an exotic car dealer. They can not be polished with Pledge, ordered on EBay or chosen off a menu at a fancy restaurant.
Snippets of these memories carry me through my darkest moments… the knowing look of my 14-year old lab, the tattered pig toy he proudly paraded on his stiff legs, right until the end… It is in my seven-year-old son’s eyes and how they crease when he smiles, smiles with his heart…. It is in the swing of my five-year-old’s light saber as he battles imaginary foe in our den or in his recent obsession with spelling, “What does SVTLZ spell Mom?” he will ask at random, while I am on my cell phone, his eyes expectant and curious. It is in the cold water as it presses against my wet suit in the summer, the crackle of the fire with my Michael within reach. It is when I remember I should ignore the dishes for just a few more minutes so that I can read.
So, the laundry wrinkles in the dryer, I put yet another of Michael’s cell phones through the rinse cycle, the dust settles on my mantle for another day, and I make a decision and wonder why it caused me pause ever to begin with; I will agree to the new Labrador puppy. It is very simply because I believe I am supposed to have dog slobber on my pant legs as I rush off to work, an overcooked bagel beside me in my truck, a child who I realize is chewing gum before breakfast, a dishwasher I’d forgotten to run off, and temporarily ‘oh-my God-where-are-they’ misplaced car keys. Amidst all that chaos and utter imperfection, I believe that life happens and beautiful moments emerge like life lines to save you, to guide you, to carry you along this amazing journey.