It’s been a lot of fun for me and I hope you enjoy them!

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Buddy was neglected by his former owner. He was chained up in horrible conditions and basically left to starve and thirst. When it rained, his makeshift house would flood. He had zero human interaction for long periods of time. In short, Buddy had it rough.

Dogs are tough. They really are. Buddy is no exception. But he showed me once again that dogs have an overwhelming ability to overcome their surroundings and their past. He is so loving and so eager to please that I have no doubt he will make someone a fine dog. And while he does have a little emotional baggage, I have every confidence he’ll eventually get over it. So it begs the question – Why can’t we be more like dogs?

I spent last night on a pillow on the back porch hanging with Buddy. I did it because I figured he’s spent enough of his life alone. But in trying to comfort him I found my own comfort. A renewal of sorts. A realization of some of my own shortcomings. For example – if Buddy, a neglected dog, can act so normal and be so loving, then why can’t we as people overcome lesser wrongs done to us? Why do we wear our past as a shield? When is it okay to drop our baggage and move on?

The answer is simple – when you trust someone again. Unlike Buddy, we’re not as trusting by nature. We like to carry things with us into the next relationship. Buddy still has some of that baggage, but he’s only been with us one night. Given time, he’ll forget a lot of the bad and focus on now. He’ll be better for it. So why can’t we do the same?

For the record, I didn’t get a single flea from my night spent with Buddy. In fact, we’ve moved into the kitchen tonight and plan to spend the night on the floor again. Maybe he’ll teach me something else…