Monday Morning Musing: Things that Make Us Look Younger and Why This One Matters

Last week we had an old girl staying at our house; she can't hear worth anything and she sleeps a lot, even during the day. But she can also chase a ball all day long. Our grand-dog, Bailey, who just turned 12 (that's 84 in dog years) was with us while her people were out of town.

One morning, from elsewhere in the house, I heard my Beloved say "You look five years younger with that look of anticipation on your face." For a half a second I thought he was talking to me, but then realized he was feeding Bailey her breakfast. At our house, her breakfast of dog food is followed by a scrambled egg (I eat one every morning, why shouldn't she?) and licking the remnants of my yogurt bowl. Needless to say, Bailey anticipates breakfast each day with something that makes her look and feel like a young pup again.

I was reminded of the sweetness of anticipating good things: trips and new babies and first kisses and thousandth kisses and a new book by your favorite author and the arrival of your favorite season. We really do feel (and maybe even look?) five years younger when we are planning for these things.

Currently, our nation seems to exist in a state of anticipatory dread, not anticipatory delight. We dread what we know will be a contentious election season (it already is) and we dread the possibility that something worse than January 6th could happen. We dread avoiding the converstions about politics with our families and neighbors but oh, dear ones, in many ways it's important that we are able to articulate what matters to us and why. And then to listen to others too as long as they aren't arguing against basic human rights. If that happens we need to shake the dust off of our feet as we leave.

I don't know how any of this will turn out, but I do know that I'm anticipating with delight other things besides this election: my Beloved and I hope to visit a couple of countries that are new to us soon; our kids will be here for my next birthday; Christmas is only five and a half months away; autumn comes before that. And tomorrow, I'll have a very satisfying and predictable breakfast that made my grand-dog shimmy with anticipation. I could learn a thing or two from her.

Bailey girl. Age 12. Good dog!