Friday, November 13, 2009

Coming Home

My friend Traci posted a wonderful series of videos on her Facebook page this morning of soldiers being greeted by their dogs after returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Clip after clip showed dogs greeting their companions ecstatically, running in circles around them, chirping and dancing and cuddling up in their laps, yelping and crying, tails wagging almost violently. I was at work when I watched them and spent a good five minutes trying not to look like I was tearing up.

I am no war hero, not by a long shot and sometimes it's all I can do to navigate my day. But I know that when I come home my dog, and even one or two of my cats, will be waiting for me, ready to welcome me as though I've traveled the world and finally returned to them after a long absence. It's all too easy to open the door and slip in past them, dropping my lunch bag on the counter, kicking off my shoes as I come in. But not today. Today I promised myself I'd treat them as they treat me, loving them as though nothing else in the world existed.

It's the least I can do.

4 comments:

Ruby's Mum said...

And that's just how it should be, every single day. We're truly blessed when we feel the love of our animals.

Valerie Cummings said...

ditto. what Rubys mum said!

Jiorji said...

bittersweet videos indeed. You get the notion of extreme violence and then the pure innocent glee of a dog seeing his friend after such a long time. I like how he just decided to sit down and not fight the excitement haha and then she sat on his lap ...awww :D

Ashley, The Accidental Olympian said...

There truly is no better greeting in the entire world than the greeting one received from their dog. No matter if you've been gone for 5 minutes or 5 days it's the worlds purest expression of love.