Happy Thanksgiving!! ~ 3 Life Lessons I Learned from my Dog

every year

I think about

what I am thankful for.

every year I come up with a long list of things.

this year I wanted to focus on just one thing that I am thankful for . . .

the lessons my dog Jake taught me. 

I am thankful to Jake for teaching me some of life’s most important lessons . . . Patience, Persistence and Passion. 

Patience. 

Every morning I was astounded and grateful for how Jake would patiently wait while I completed our morning routine to go for a walk. No matter how excited he may be to get the day started he would patiently wait by the door while I put on my sunscreen, my socks, my shoes, my jacket and decide what hat to wear and where are my keys again? 

Jake gave me the gift of patience every day.  He taught me that giving patience is how we show our love and respect to others and being patient makes life easier.  It has become a mantra I repeat often.  From being patient with the ones I love, giving patience to those I may disagree with and having patience that my day will unfold as it should. Patience, simple, often undervalued, and a wonderful gift we can all afford to give.

Persistence. 

We often played a game in the studio while we worked on perfecting images on the computer in Photoshop. The work was long and sometimes tedious, but Jake would always sit patiently under the desk. As his reward, throughout these sessions, we would place a carefully selected morsel of goodness inside a small, rubber ball that he loved. That ball would then be precisely placed just barely outside of his reach between two, closely spaced, immovable filing cabinets. He could only just get his front paw into the space at the front. Once he heard “okay, Go!” Jake would launch himself at the seemingly impossible task of retrieving it. He would make countless attempts at trying to reach it, straining and scratching but never giving up. He would often spend up to 15 minutes working the problem. Finally, once he found just the right body position and his front paw was in just the correct shape, he’d retrieve the ball. He would then proudly show us his accomplishment and strut back over to his bed under the desk to begin the second part of his task . . . treat removal. This could easily take another 15 minutes as he’d bite, squeeze and lick the ball to remove the treat. On rare occasions he’d bark at it, seemingly frustrated with the lack of progress, but with excitement in his eyes, he’d never give up and would always get the treat! 

Jake’s persistence inspires me to never give up no matter how difficult the task, even when life throws you a bouncy, treat-filled curve ball. 

Passion. 

Jake had a passion for the outdoors.  He LOVED to “Go4aWalk?” This was never more evident than in the final moments of his life. Jake, diagnosed with a terminal illness, suddenly wanted to go and explore his neighbourhood one last time. His nose twitched and his face raised up to squeeze every last scent that the air held. Even when his legs failed him he never stopped enjoying the outdoors while we carried him back home. 

Experiencing Jake’s passion for the outdoors and watching him say goodbye to the neighbourhood he loved touched me deeply.  It reminds me to get outside, to go for a walk, to enjoy the smells of the seasons, to breathe in the fresh air and to be grateful for what I have right now.  

I am thankful to Jake for being my teacher. the life lessons he taught me I will never forget . . .  Patience, Persistence and Passion.

fine art evocative impressions people and pet portraiture by evocative dog photography at emerald lake british columbia

thank you my boy.  

that’ll do Jake,

that’ll do.

🙂 

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