What My Dog Taught Me

A life I must protect

Since I started living with a dog for the first time,
I never expected I would change this much.

I didn't read any training books,
nor was I taught by anyone,
but in our daily life, there are many things I've learned from my dog.

“A life I am responsible for and must protect”
I think this is the biggest one.

This little one
cannot prepare its own food,
and cannot tell me in words if it's feeling unwell.

Therefore, the responsibility to protect it lies entirely with the owner (us).

It's not just about being cute,
and it doesn't matter if I'm not in the mood.

But strangely,
I've rarely felt it was a “burden,”
and if anything, I feel like my life has become more grounded.

The feeling of being entrusted with someone's life
makes a person a little stronger and a little kinder.

A perfect relationship with neighbors whose names I don't even know

When I go out for a walk,
I see mostly the same faces every day.

But
I don't know their names.

It starts with a “hello,”
and before I know it,
they call out to me, “You're [Dog's Name]'s mom, right?”

A relationship connected by the dog's name.

It's not to the point of exchanging contact information,
nor is it getting too deeply involved.

But
when we meet, we greet each other with a smile,
talk about how the dog is doing or the weather,
and that's it.

This sense of distance is very comfortable.

When you become an adult,
relationships that are too close can be exhausting,
but complete strangers can be a bit lonely.

This “just-right” feeling that is born
by having a dog in between is something I quite like.

The emotion of “adoration”

I never knew dogs were such adorable creatures.
To be honest,
before I brought my dog home,
I never imagined it would be like this.

I knew they were cute, but
I never imagined they would become
such an integral part of my life.

Their sleeping face,
their tail,
the way they sometimes sulk,
the way they show pure joy

Everything about them is precious.

In fact,
the moment I laughed the most today
was the moment I saw my dog.

I realize now,
more than ever,
that dogs are creatures
that can move human emotions so deeply.

My dog is like a teacher.
Even though they aren't trying to teach me anything,
just by being together,
I find myself realizing things.

Protecting,
personal space,
finding joy,
cherishing.

My dog is
a member of my family,
and a teacher who quietly shows me the way.

Today, too,
with that look on their face that says they aren't thinking about a thing,
they are right by my side.

That alone is more than enough.

Thank you.