Standing Guard
Jake guards me all day, every day.
When my children were toddlers, well, actually until they hit middle school, my private time in the bathroom wasn’t private. I can remember just wanting two minutes alone. Maybe it was just me. Maybe other moms can relate, but regardless, there was no personal space for a very long time.
Then, they got older. They became aware of privacy for themselves and started respecting a closed door more. Now, that doesn’t mean my youngest doesn’t walk right in when I’m in the shower or getting dressed, but, I have a little more space than when they were younger.
Then I got Jake. Before I got him, I wasn’t much of an animal person. It’s not that I didn’t like animals, I just didn’t have much use for them. They were needy, dirty, smelly and were never “mine.” Imagine my surprise at the deep love I feel for Jake. Luckily, Jake isn’t needy. I don’t have more in me to give to a needy dog, but he can be dirty and smelly. And, he is totally mine. Oh, he loves the kids, but he is MY dog.
You’re probably wondering how privacy and Jake are related. It has to do with Jake’s need to sit outside the bathroom door, or in the middle of the night when I stumble into the dark room and leave the door ajar, next to my leg. The other night, Jake did just that. He sat down right next to me, flank against my leg. He was alert and staring out of the ajar door.
As only a sleepy mind can do, I thought about how I no longer had privacy in the bathroom again. And then I realized, it was for a totally different reason. You see, pack animals stand guard when members of their pack go to the bathroom. It is because they are very vulnerable at that time. The pack literally protects you. Jake isn’t infringing on my privacy. He is protecting me at 2 a.m.
He does this in more obvious ways with squirrels, UPS trucks and motorcycles, as well. But this seemingly small act warms my heart because I am his person.
Do you have a person? Are you THE person for someone or an animal? No matter who it is, you are a gift to them and they are a gift to you. And having a person or an inner circle aer vital to your health. As women, we need others. It helps us in the good and bad times. It’s vital to a woman’s happiness. It is instinctual, just like Jake’s desire to protect me from the dust bunnies in my home.
If you’re longing for your inner circle and want to develop real, meaningful relationships where you can be vulnerable and authentic, then join us every month for the Moxie Mixers and the Moxie Workshops. Tomorrow’s Monthly Moxie Mixer’s theme is all about finding peace. Make sure to register for each!
Here’s the schedule for the rest of the year.
Moxie Mixers
Wednesday, October 4, 5:30 p.m. ET
Wednesday, November 1, 5:30 p.m. ET
Wednesday, December 6, 5:30 p.m. ET
Monthly workshops
Thursday, September 21, noon ET
Thursday, October 19, noon ET
Thursday, November 16, noon ET