The advantage to my dogs having Retrievers as best friends is that they all have learned to swim, despite Boxers not actually being water dogs.
So when the tide allows, we head to the river for a swim.
I'm amazed at the meditative quality of this brief activity -- it lasts about 15 minutes -- and how calm I feel after. Is it the repetition of throwing the stick over and over and over? Is it the positive energy created by encouraging her to get the stick then praising her as she swims back with it? Is it the laughing we do when she shakes next to us every single time?
There is much going on in our daily lives, the usual mix of concerns about health and money, frustrations and expectations with work, as well as worries about family members and friends. Right now it seems as if there is Always Something and Always Someone to be fretting about, and like most couples, we reach a point where we can't keep up with what is distracting each other.
Nerves fray, tempers shorten, tones sharpen.
So saying, "Wanna take the dog for a swim?" is our cue to pause, breathe and play for awhile.
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