Earlier today, I set out on my walk, only this time I was alone. Usually my daughter tags along, and given she has the gift for bubbles (gab), while normally I love our talks, sometimes a mom just wants to enjoy a walk alone. Hear my own inner voice. Which today was silent.
As I strolled the streets, I paused to take in the delightful, sweet scents this time of year offers. Rosemary. Lavender. Lysteria. Roses. Wild Strawberries. I'm the type to dive right in. Put my nose right up to the plant and inhale. Gently pinch a stem of lavender or rosemary and put my finger under my nose and inhale. Most of the time the scents are very pleasing, but now and then you experience an odor you didn't quite expect, as was the case today when I came upon a beautiful rose bush with pretty pink petals.
"Ah," I said quietly, placing my nose up to the softness of pink petals and immediately regretted it. My "ah" went to "ew, what is THAT?!" Reminder not to smell that one on my next walk.
There were also an abundance of Fox Gloves to enjoy. I was brought back to the time when my daughter was a toddler. She had a particular fondness for Fox Gloves. Not only were they a central part of one of her Beatrix Potter stories, but she also loved putting her fingers inside each little flower. A perfect fit for a little toddler finger. I would always have her pause and look inside the petal before she began exploring to make sure there wasn't a bee taking in some nectar. We learned that the hard way, only thankfully the bee, in its wisdom, chose not to sting.
As my mind was lost in memories of the past, I suddenly wished my daughter were there with me, reminding myself that in just a few short years she will be leaving the nest, so our times together are something I absolutely do my best to not take for granted. Suddenly wanting to snuggle something and having no one there, the Universe must have picked up on that mama need, for what did I see next, eyeing me from across the street, but a dog.
A terrier.
Older. Gray around his muzzle.
As he eyed me, I eyed him back. We considered one another, he seeming to think, "should I walk over and say hello?" and me, the same. Instead, we both slowly approached one another. I noticed his owner was out front.
"He's friendly," she said, smiling. I nodded, crouched down, and let the little guy walk over. Smell my hand. He looked up at me, hesitation in his eyes. "It's okay," I said, smiling. "I'm a dog person." He let me stroke his head, his ears. He liked that. I asked the owner his name.
"Boise," she said.
"Boise," I said to my new friend. "Just like the city. That's a nice name." There's something that happens when we greet one another by name. It adds a personal touch, another layer that says, "this person is safe."
Feeling more comfortable with me, he moved in closer until he was leaning into my legs, head down, looking up at me, then head back up again for more love.
Which I provided.
Isn't it funny how the act of petting an animal, where we, the human, are giving affection to the animal, actually receive so much love back?
We continued to engage in our dog/human moment for a little longer, eyes meeting with each pat, until I got up to walk away. He watched me, giving me the sad eyes, as if to say, "Wait, you're LEAVING?" I know that look, having had 2 dogs during my adult years. I laughed and said, "What, do you want to come on a walk with me?" Perhaps I shouldn't have said that, for he seemed to take me seriously as he began to trot off right along with me, looking up at me with his eyes smiling, until his owner laughed and called him back. Turning around, he headed back to his human, but not before giving me one last look over his shoulder.
"Bye, Boise," I said with a wave and was off to finish my walk.
As I walked home, I continued to take in the smells of this late Spring day, smiling to myself over Boise. "Such a nice name," I said again to myself. I looked up at the sky, clouds placed in just right to let the sun shine down on us. And I noticed something in my body. The tension in my shoulders was gone. My jaw was softer. A rare experience for me the past year. And I took it for what it was.
A gift from the Universe, reminding me of that one eternal Truth that always remains, is always present and that I too often forget. The most comforting moments of love and connection sometimes come without expectation, when we least expect it, and in the most unexpected of ways, leaving us to realize in a humbling moment that sometimes Life knows exactly what we need to keep going.
💖
Victoria
Welcome! I'm Victoria, Mama, writer, pianist, and storyteller.
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