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Winning over an old dog
The room was dark and I was worried about getting to work. After a spell of warm weather put me in the mood for spring, this snow was a bummer.
Winter again - not Christmas trees and sleigh bells winter - just winter. Cold and slippery filled my head and I resented it for getting in my way. I decided not to get out of bed.
Then the bedroom door burst open. In came my wife - smiling - and my baby boy, Owen, also smiling.
When Sarah opened the blinds the bright snow-covered scenery made Owen screech with delight.
His eyes widened as he flapped his arms in approval. The next one through the bedroom door was our old dog, Sam.
Sam identified with my mood more than theirs, so he came in quietly to my side of the bed as Sarah and Owen put on cartoons.
The cartoons made them even happier. “EeeYAH!” Owen yelled.
They got into the bed and Owen was excited to see me. “EeeYAH!” he yelled again as he lunged toward me.
Sarah lifted the dog into bed and the next thing I knew, the snow was transformed from an obstacle into a natural wonder. Right outside my window was a fresh new world dressed in white.
There was no driveway to shovel and no road to work. “EeYAH!” screamed Owen as he looked out at the trees, “EeYAH!” as he reached for the flakes.
It wasn’t his first snowfall, but it was the first one to fill his mind and take over his world. It was the first snow-storm to keep his mommy and daddy home from work.
It gave the family bonus time together. Even the old dog was won over as the family huddled together and the smell of cookies wafted through the house.
For more of The Joy of Life, visit genemyers.com.
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