We have three dogs and two lovely new couches. I bought the couches last week and I’m very proud of them. But the world is not the same not in our home.
I’m only going to write about two of our dogs today and I’ll change their names. I don’t want them to be upset by my story about them.
- Bert is a white dog with brown spots. He’s some sort of pit bull mix, which is funny because I always swore I’d never have a pit bull. But God has a sense of humor. Bert showed up in our yard a few years ago. He’d been so abused he wouldn’t let us touch home for two or three weeks. Bert is an uncomplicated dog and now so happy with his life. His thick white tail wags constantly and thumps joyously on furniture and our legs. He sleeps on his back, untroubled by serious thought, and snores like a freight train.
- Hamlet is a brown boxer mix who Lex rescued from starvation several years ago. He’s an exceedingly handsome dog with expressive ears and six toes, that kind of freak me out. He is hopelessly in love with Lex and I suspect he has rather complicated thoughts.
When the new couches were delivered all the dogs were very excited and sniffy. They watched as we tried out different positions, trying to discover “the perfect spot.” Then they all returned to their doggie lives. Except for Hamlet.
For several days he’s been very unhappy and out of sorts. He paces back and forth in front of the couches, annoyed that he’s not allowed to curl up on them. There are lots of other comfy places for the dogs, in the house. Rugs and doggy beds. They can even snuggle with Sandor in a real bed. But Hamlet doesn’t care about those places any more. He only wants to be on the new couches.
At night we literally have to put shoes and chairs on the couches to keep him off. If I walk into the kitchen, he immediately jumps into my spot. I tell him to get down and he moves very very slowly, obviously annoyed with me.
Sure, Bert made a move for the couches a couple of times. But we yelled at him, so he got down and has moved on. He doesn’t even care about the couches anymore.
Bert rolls and wiggles on his back, cheerfully scratching a hard to reach spot, while Hamlet sulks in front of the couches. Bert happily pesters me for a treat in the kitchen, while Hamlet stares dolefully at the off limit couches.
Bert and I have both tried to get Hamlet to play, but he refuses. I sit on the floor, looking into his handsome eyes and scratching his favorite spot. He ignores me. Hamlet is obsessed with the couches he can’t have. He has the Garden of Eden and all the delicious fruit, but only wants the forbidden apple.
The moral of the story? I don’t think God planned on all of us having everything. We each have different gifts and wonders to enjoy. Love what you have, add to your world, make it bigger and better if you want. But don’t lose a single day being jealous of those who have what you do not.
Be a Bert.