When in Doubt...Get a Dog!

One sure way to get yourself out of a funk...is to get a dog!

I had been contemplating buying a dog for a while now. I figured it would be good to have a dog for when Emily and I live alone...for security and companionship. However, I have been hesitant because as we all know, dogs are a lot of work and I wasn't sure if adding more work to my load was a smart thing to do. Afterall, the load of a single parent is enough all on its own. I knew eventually I would give in...but I wasn't sure when.

It happened last week! I decided now was the time. We researched and we went out and bought our new puppy, Max. WE LOVE HIM!

He's a cream colored Havanese and is just 3 months old and in the few short days he's been with us has brought us tremendous joy and happiness.

If you've been following my blog you know I've been in a bit of a funk. You also know that I've decided to dive in to that funk head first...and I have been. But, I also decided that I should 'reward' myself for my bravery. So I did. The reward is Max.

It's so awesome to come home and have your new puppy fall over himself trying to get to you and wagging his tail from excitement! It's so cute to see him playing with his toys and trying to provoke you to play a game of chase. And it's EXTRA awesome to watch Emily and him play. He loves her and she loves him and they are having so much fun together. It's also been teaching her about responsibility and caring for something. She loves taking care of him. And he's grateful.

That's another thing! I love the fact that Max is happy and grateful for every little thing we do for him. That's a trait rarely found in humans these days. In a world where so much of what you do, say, and feel is taken for granted its nice to give of yourself and see some genunine appreciation and love in return. If only humans were more like dogs!

Anyway...just wanted to share that we have a new addition to the family...our little Havanese puppy, Max! We couldn't be happier. And at least for the moment...there is no funk in sight. It has been temporarily been put on a shelf so that I can play with my puppy!

I have plenty of time to deal with the little things that are irking me. I'll get to them in due time. But for now, I'm just going to take some time to enjoy the awesome blessings in my life.

Uh...and now I have to go...because Max is chewing up my shoe...

Much love...

Vanessa...in progress. (VIP)

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The only way out is through...

I'm convinced...Alanis and so many others were right...the ONLY way out IS through!

I've been in a bit of a funk lately...for various reasons...none of them major...nor was the funk itself major. I just wasn't feeling my happy, and peppy self and it was bothering me. So...I decided to give myself a mental health weekend. I took a Friday off of work and planned a weekend full of ME activities - walking Emily to school, prayer and meditation, exercise, journaling, etc. It was AWESOME and I felt GREAT! I was happy that I had taken the time to "do me" and was feeling good again and thought the funk was over.

That is...until Monday morning...when I charged back in to reality...only to be confronted again with all the same stuff that I had walked away from during my 3 day mental health retreat. Grrr... Did those things not know that I had taken a respite and they were all supposed to be gone now that I was "feeling better"?

So...that's when I realized...again...that the only way out is through. I can't distract my way out of it. It's there...and it's not going away until I dive in and deal with it. I'm not exactly sure what diving in and dealing with it means in this case...since its really not one thing but rather a mix of things all rolled in to one. But, I know that sitting with it, examining it, embracing it, and putting one foot in front of the other as I deal with it is the only thing that's going to put me on the other side of it.

So I will dive...and we'll see what happens. It may get worse before it gets better...but it WILL get better!

Main lessons learned from this little experience: 1) We should definitely all learn to take more time for ourselves...to just slow it down...and "do us"...and clear the mind. Even though it didnt get rid of the "stuff" it did feel great! And...2) is the unfortunate reminder that the only way out is through. Whatever IT is...won't go away until I confront it head on. So confront I must and I will.

Stay tuned.

Much love...

Vanessa...in progress. (VIP)

P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment. You can also easily share the link with the buttons under the post's title. Thanks for helping out!