Sunday, June 23, 2013

What Luna is Teaching Me


     
      About a month ago, three beautiful bouncing bundles of joy entered our lives. We got three rottweiler puppies, and our lives have been indescribably enriched. 
      We've had four dogs in the past, but never so many at one time! And perhaps, now that we're older and more mature, we're more able to appreciate the joys of having rolly polly puppies around the house.
      Luna is my darling girl, the only rose among the thorns. Her two brothers are adorable little rascals, but Luna is special because she is mine. And I wake up joyfully each morning at 5 a.m. so I can make sure she and her siblings are fed, and perhaps have time for a bit of a romp before I go to work.
      Dog owners (especially those of big breeds) will know that, due to their innately aggressive nature, these puppies will inadvertently nip their owner a tad bit too hard at times, or leave long welts on their owners' arms and legs in their attempt to shower their owner with love and affection. It's not all perfume and romance, so to speak, when handling rambunctious puppies! Especially three of them at once!
      But I've gotten used to it. I've grown accustomed to the small cuts and bruises on my limbs, on the affectionate tugs that they give my pony tail (they probably think it's my tail! And wonder why it's attached to the wrong side, hehe). It's a small price to pay for the sweet joy of having their shaking bodies pressed so closely to mine, and yes, they SHAKE all over from the excitement of seeing me, as if each time, it's their first and last and not the daily ritual that it's been for me.
        It's become a favorite part of my day to fondle Luna's ears, caress her belly as she gobbles down her food as fast as she can. I often wonder... if I can feel THIS much love (which sometimes startles me in its fierceness) towards a puppy... what more towards my own child or mate?
        And I've also reflected that... perhaps a decade or so from now, God willing, Luna will still be around to romp around with my own kids. :)
       I've also thought how wonderful it is that, despite my heart having been broken from the deaths of our four previous dogs, there's still so much love left inside for our three new ones. I am slowly realizing that the limits of the human heart are boundless, that we can eternally continue to love. Despite the cracks, bruises, and cuts from friendships betrayed, affections unrequited and trust in our fellowman unreturned, we LOVE because that's what makes us human and partly divine. 
        And it's the same for my students! Each year, I think to myself that I can't possibly love my students more than I loved mine last year, but I am always wrong. This year's batch is every bit as lovable as last year's! And it's so wonderful to be among the bouncing bundles of cuteness that the Grade One students are, and to see how grown up my previous students have become this year.
        "You know what I think prolongs life? Art and music. Beyond that, it is to have a heart full of love." -- from IF I LIVE TO BE 100: LESSONS FROM THE CENTENARIANS

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