All we have are these moments: the golden trees,
Barbara Crooker, “Poem with an Embedded Line by Susan Cohen”
the industrious bees, the falling light. Darkness
will not overtake us.
My One Little Word for 2023 is Purpose. I am trying to purposefully capture small moments and hold them close. My dog Charlie is near the end of his life. He is 15. He sleeps most of the day. But he still gets excited about treats.
We were having a rainy day. I heard the rain, but it didn’t register that I had let Charlie out in the side yard. I don’t know what made me remember. Perhaps it was his slight scratch at the door. Or the boom of thunder. He is usually afraid of thunder.
I opened the door and Charlie ran in, soaking wet. I grabbed a towel and sat down on the floor. He ran into my arms and let me rustle him around in the towel. Then he’d run away and turn around, back into the towel, rub rub rub, shake, shake, off he ran again. He did this a few times. I was giggling hard.
My old dog has some life left in him!
What are your small moments of joy?
Reflections on the Teche 
Margaret, this is positively beautiful! It reminds me of Dog Songs by Mary Oliver – the poems in that book are filled with moments of bursts of joy (“The Storm” is one of my favorites). Charlie is precious. I held one of my schnoodles like a baby for a long time last night. He has Canine Ulcerative Periodontal Syndrome (CUPS) and is prone to excruciating mouth ulcers, so I hold him very still when he is hurting. Fitz is nearing the end as well but also still loves soft treats like cheese. Thank you for reminding us that every age still holds wonders, joys, and excitement.
You captured such a lovely moment, Margaret! I’m so glad that you and Charlie had some fun, and that you purposefully held that moment close, and then shared it with us.
This could be a part of a really cute picture book. Where is my dog? Oh! He’s outside–and it’s raining! I could picture him shaking off the rain, coming back for more rubs…a fun post!