by Karen Hart

Created on: February 16, 2009   Last Updated: March 16, 2009

During these tough times of late I have seen more dog smiles then people. I have six dogs and they all smile everyday unless a grumpy human comes along to change their cheery outlook. In the morning my dogs awake to greet the day anew, showing me how to do the same. Yesterday is gone, today has just begun. So let's go play ball and have some fun! This is how my life starts everyday. We continue our day with a hike in the woods, searching for any new changes from our previous ventures. New smells always gets our biggest smiles. Chasing a squirrel up a tree is a tail wagging thrill!

My dogs have taught me how to smile, how to love, how to be there for a friend in need. Not just during the good times, good times are easy, but try to smile through the tough times. Tough times are when dogs shine. You can count on a dog to pull you through your darkest hours. When you look into their eyes you will see compassion unlike ever you have seen before. Soon a smile will emerge upon your face and as your tears fall on your furry friend a smile along with a tail wag will be returned. Next you will find yourself back in life again throwing a ball for your most loyal friend.

A dog lives only in the moment. When you hang with a dog you also can live in the moment. Believe me a moment in life is all we really have. Life is a fragile gift we must embrace feelings of now. We must live to see truths. Truth of life that comes in a moment to be gone in the next. My dogs have shown me how to live one day at a time, one moment of everyday so that I can share with the human world the plain and simple truth: Dogs do smile!

Stop living in your yesterdays and tomorrows. Today embrace a moment in your life to smile. If your lucky you'll see your dog smiling back at you, maybe your neighbor too. If your not sure how to get yourself into a moment grab your dog or go to the dog shelter and ask to volunteer to walk a dog. While you spend time with your dog this time don't hurry through the walk but slow down and watch your dog. Life will suddenly become new. You will see life again as if you were a child. Soon not only will you smile you will laugh. Dogs dance only a moment in life to see their human smile, for when their human smiles so shall they.

We should be blessed to learn this most precious gift. A moment to take to love our family, our friends, our neighbors. A moment to stop and smile. For it is in this moment we shall see their smile return to us. Really isn't this our simple destiny, to love and be loved for who we are. Smile at a dog and they will smile back. This is their gift to share; love unconditionally with a smile! Try it.

Learn more about this author, Karen Hart.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.