My friend’s dog had surgery and had to wear a onesie for a little bit. He’s okay now but, throughout the course of his healing, I did get a few pictures of the saddest puppy eyes I’ve ever seen.
In catching up on her dog, I mentioned a dog I’d seen on my morning walk who was wearing a cone. “The dog just looked so embarrassed!” We chatted about how sad it is to see a puppy look ashamed.
“And that’s the thing,” my friend continued, “I don’t think that they know that this is temporary. You know? They just probably think, this is my life now.”
“Yeah,” I wanted to laugh along, “imagine thinking that whatever the situation is now is what the situation is going to be forever.”
Oh, but does my silly human brain work much better?
How easy it’s been to get lost in a dark place and think that it’s forever.
How easy it’s been to take the beautiful times for granted not knowing they could end in a moment.
Perhaps, rather than thinking this is my life now as in “forever,” I can think this is my life right now.
Right now I am __________. And it’s good being ________. But I won’t always be __________. And I’m excited to see how I grow and transform.
Right now I am __________. And I’m having a hard time being ____________. But I won’t always be ___________. And I’m excited for that day.
That’s not to say nothing is forever but rather to say—unlike our middle school yearbook signatures (#LYLAS #NeverChange)—we will change.
And that’s kind of the point, isn’t it? To be able to grow and adapt and change as the world around us does?
To use these experiences to change the world around us for the better.
