Don't Just See An Expression, Feel It...

 

My boy! My Buddy! Cosmo is my little dog who is happy to see me no matter if I have left him alone for 10 minutes or 10 hours! There have been days in the past year and a half that have made me glad I have him. He saved my life and doesn't even know it.

He is one of the best canines I have seen. I can take him in public, I can leave him at home, he has traveled on planes, and been from the bottom of the United States to the top, even in a car! For this, he gets rewarded. We have Tuesdays for him. I took him somewhere he could run with no leash. He listens and he LOVES to chase birds. BAD BIRDS!!!  It's funny to watch him. He never hurts anything but loves to run until they fly off to a new spot and he turns around feeling proud. I learn when I watch him.

 This got me thinking about how much I have to be proud of. I have a beautiful daughter who I raised on my own serving in the US Army in Korea. I have a roof over my head, food in my cupboards, and a family who recognized every accomplishment I made in this life. I am proud! How many times in life do we give permission to be proud of ourselves? Conceit? Self-absorbed? Egotistical? Whatever you want to call it. I think a realistic dose of it is required once and awhile.

 There are times when it seems we don't pat ourselves on the back or take a minute to feel the joy from an accomplishment. There are a lot of things in life that can bring us down. There are even more things that frustrate us to the point of exhaustion but there is something about appreciating and being proud of ourselves that make a moment bright. Even if something doesn't feel like it should be at the moment and you have chased it as far as you can, then watch it fly away and experience the love that comes with letting it go.

I never wanted to let my baby girl go to Korea, and it wasn't easy, but I did. I look back on that now and I feel pride. She has turned into a beautiful girl. I have love and lost only to learn that real love meant to love it enough to set it free.
Most importantly, I have learned to love myself. Just as I am. When I love me, it is then that I can appreciate others like Cosmo, my daughter, my parents, and my friends.