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Mud and muck



In the past two days, I have had two experiences with dogs and mud!
Dogs and mud!
Can you picture it?
Black mud-coated legs.
A black nose.
Mud streaks.
Mud-caked.
Pawprints.
Enough to make my head blow off with the steam radiating from me as I looked out and saw my pup proudly standing over the mud bog that he had made.  And then I found myself in it again!  This time it wasn't my own rambunctious, unbearable-at-times puppy, but a total stranger dog that I came upon on the side of the road!
I ask myself how I got into these predicaments and I just have to laugh or I might give up and cry.
In hindsight, I am certain that the lost dog was probably just out for his daily run.  I was the lucky sucker who thought he needed to be rescued.  My attempts to do a good deed led to a disconnected phone number, a failed attempt to keep him in the backend of my car, and paw prints everywhere!  He probably loved the excitement and attention and when I drove away in search of his home, I am certain he smiled as he trotted on.
In the case of my puppy, I was completely unprepared for the task of getting him through these growing years.  The ideal of having an easygoing family dog comes with more patience than I have on most days.  I have logged more hours than a part-time job toward training, exercising, and keeping our home intact as he moves through this year of phases.  Unfortunately, he can't just be left on the side of the road when I run out of options.
So...  mud and muck.
I just have to laugh because there isn't much more I can do.  I can choose to seethe, swear, cry, or I can put on my boots, get out the hose, and wipe things up.  I can pile up resentment like bricks until they close me in or I can change perspective and deal with it.
Throwing my hands ups, admitting it is hard, and stating that I need a break are the lessons that I have gotten to practice with Fischer.  And, I have had to decide what I am willing to give up and what I won't push aside when it comes to balancing the puppy needs.  I have had to decide where I am willing to give a little and how to stand firm in other places.  How can I meet the need and feed myself.  I have changed perspective and our walks have become a time for me to listen to a podcast, get inspiration, and enjoy the weather.  He survived an overnight at a kennel so that our family could enjoy a get-away without extra worry.
The facts are that mud is a mess, that puppies are hard, that life isn't going to play out just as I thought, yet things are still worth doing.  The mud and muck are one part of opening myself up to the creation of what I really want in this world.  Sometimes while I'm cleaning up the mess I find that I have left it better than it started and that is something to smile about-one little grain of hope.

How to you deal with the everyday mud and muck?  

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