Lessons from the dog - cuddle with loved ones

February. The month of love. Flowers. And romance. Valentine's Day is right around the corner. I find people either hate this holiday or love it. I love it, though at one time I dreaded it. Years of being single, wishing I had someone to share my life with only to be reminded I was spending the holiday alone. I had fantasies of Prince Charming riding in on a white horse sweeping me off my feet on none other than February 14. Didn't every single girl have the same dream? 

These days I think Valentine's Day isn't as much about romantic couples as it is about love...for everyone. Which includes our furry friends. While I'm not single anymore, I wouldn't be ashamed to spend my holiday curled up on the couch cuddling with my fur kids. In fact, I think the time they spend cuddling with us is a lesson we can learn from them. 

We're always so busy, constantly on the go getting things done, running here and there. And when we are relaxing, we're not really. Often we're multi-tasking like doing laundry and watching TV at the same time. No wonder we feel stressed and tired all the time.

Every once in a while, Izzy will come over to me and give me a "hug". She'll jump up and wrap her paws around me snuggling her head under my neck. If I sit down on the couch to study, Kita often joins me, curling up on my lap. She'll roll on her back and paw at me trying to get me to pet her. It's like they're saying "take a break." Relax. Pay attention to the things that really matter. And you know what? It works. Yes, sometimes after 30 seconds I'm done and back to work. But other times, I really do stop and slow down. Breathe. Rest. Turn my brain off for a bit. And it feels great.

I should do this more often. We all should. Celebrate love every single day. Not just on February 14. Because one of the things we love about our pets is the love we feel for them and believe they have for us. If we all felt love more, I have no doubt the world would be a happier place. There would be less crime, less bullying, less hatred. Imagine that world. I'd choose that in a heart beat, wouldn't you? 

So this month of love,  let's take a lesson from our dogs and cuddle our loved ones more. Every little step is a step toward a better, kinder, more loving planet. 

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