Greet Each Day Like a Dog

"My goal for the rest of the week is to greet each day with 

as much enthusiasm as my dog does."  

This was my first Tweet today and this is why:

The alarm went off at 5:30 this morning. Per usual, I groaned, hit the snooze button and rolled over, hoping to catch 10 more minutes of sleep. Scout, on the other hand, jumped up the second the wretched beeping started.  His floppy ears perked up.  His tail began to wag. And he sat there staring - no, I actually think he was smiling - at me.

"I'm so excited for another wonderful day!" he seemed to be saying.

I, on the other hand, was more like "You've got to be kidding me, another day already?"

Let me first say that this is not a rant about my life.  It's not like I woke up this morning wishing I didn't have to face another day - I just wasn't ready to wake up - nor am I ever really ready to wake up unless, of course, there is something really exciting going on that day. It struck me this morning, however, that Scout is like this every single morning of his life.  Every single morning.  And, ironically, every single morning of his life is all but exactly the same.  And yet he's so darn happy about it.

After the alarm goes off the again Scout waits patiently for me to roll out of bed to let him outside. There he circles and paces until he finds the "perfect spot". He then patrols the borders of his invisible fence, making sure no varmints penetrated his well-marked barriers over night. If he's lucky he may get the scent of of a deer, which he will bark incessantly at to ensure it dare not "threaten" his family. Eventually I stumble out before he wakes the neighbors. And yet he's so darn happy about it.

After morning yard duty Scout excitedly chomps down his favorite treat - the same thing he has had every morning since we got him.  Once finished he happily trots up the stairs to wake the girls.  Every morning he hops up on M's bed, licks her face until she finally opens her eyes and grumbles "Good Morning, Scout." Once she speaks he's off to peek out her window, just in case any more wicked deer have appeared. The same thing occurs in KK's room 5 minutes later. The exact same thing.  And yet he's is so darn happy about it!

The rest of his day is a combination of napping, tennis balls, and waiting for a run. While different days offer varied time periods of activities, each day is essentially a carbon copy of the last.  And yet he's so darn happy about it!

I was so tired when the alarm went off this morning I considered not getting out of bed.  When I rolled over, however, there was Scout, smiling at me. Another great day was awaiting us, I could see it in his eyes. And yes,  I was really happy about it!