When I lived in London, I used to walk through Greenwich Park every weekend. I love that park. I also love the lessons I learnt there. Trading in the city all week whilst studying and doing the usual chores (washing, ironing, cleaning, shopping, riding horses etc etc etc), you could get pretty caught up with yourself. Stressing about the present and the future and even the past, if you wanted to add a bit more to the mix. Making plans for next week, next month and often the rest of your life. I know, pretty silly. Who can honestly do that?

However, a walk through Greenwich Park would pull me right back and put my life and my problems into perspective. How? Well, there were great teachers there in that park. Not professors or scholars. Not preachers or even spirits from the other side. My teachers were four legged, covered in fur and kind of close to the ground. Dogs. No, that’s not gods with a typo, though there could be a good reason they share the same lettering.

“What the….?”, I hear you say. Let me explain. Have you ever really watched a dog? Dogs are fully in the present. They don’t care what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow. They care about here and now and that’s it. Dogs run, chase ball and just thoroughly love having a body to run around in. They seem grateful for it. Happy to have four legs and a tail. They take pleasure in the simple things. A ball; a stick; a squirrel. They don’t need complicated entertainment. They don’t get bored with their surroundings too quickly. They find seem to find even the everyday things amazing.

They love being out and about on an adventure with their pack, of which is usually made up of two legged members. Even if that adventure is just a circuit of the oval.

Dogs love unconditionally. They don’t play emotional games with those they love. They’re blatantly honest about how they feel. They forgive quickly and are always happy to see their family, whether those members are in a good mood or not. If they get told off, they feel hurt, but they retain respect. They know when their humans need space, wait for them to get over their issues and are ready with a wagging tail.

Unless continuously hurt in the past, dogs trust. They understand that it is better to be deceived than to deceive.

And because of all this, dogs help us heal, help us love and help us trust again. There is a reason they are man’s best friend.

Dogs are why I have given the two dogs in my life the prefixes of “Guru” and “Yoda” respectively.

Don’t you think the world would be a better place if we were all just a bit more dog like?

And in the spirit of this blog, I shall leave you with the words of a Glen Campbell song,

“Let me be a little kinder, let me be a little blinder

To the faults of those around me, let me praise a little more.

Let me be when I am weary, just a little bit more cheery,

Think a little more of others, and a little less of me.”