Today was one of those days - one of those days where I look out at the pond in the backyard (where there should not be one) and watch my dogs watching the ducks swimming in circles and wish I was in a drier, sunnier climate.
This is a tough time of the year. There is less daylight, the nights seem longer and the weather, yes, the weather is damper. Over the next eight weeks, conversations will pretty much begin with the weather and end with the weather. But, smack dab in the middle of our monsoon season we have Christmas. Yay!
Despite my lack of enthusiasm regarding my growing lakefront property, I do look forward to this time of the year because of the holiday celebration. I love the tradition of decorating my home, garnishing it with lights and bows as if I am saying "thank you for giving me a roof to lay my head under and keep us all safe during the year." I devote an entire weekend to trimming the tree, placing ornaments that hold special meaning in just the right spots. With the dogs curled beside me in front of the fire we watch traditional Christmas movies, like It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol. Some may find this corny, but to me, this is Christmas.
I avoid the malls, trading in the Christmas shopping mayhem experience in favour of much tamer and peaceful excursions, such as sipping an eggnog latte while hiking the trails with my dogs.
Boy, if you want to walk trails with your dogs and not run into a soul then wait for the peak hours of Christmas holiday shopping to begin. (I bet there was nary a soul to be found on Black Friday.)
When I'm on my lone shepherd walks with my three wise dogs, I am often left to ponder the insanity that Christmas has become. Regardless of your beliefs, the season has become a materialistic orgy masked as a celebration of the most unmaterialistic person who walked the earth.
Ironic, no?
I digress.. .. So in my search for a deeper meaning of our present Christmas experience, I do what I often do when I'm met with a perplexing conundrum: I ask my dogs.
As I just stated, they are very wise. "Piper," I say, "What say you of the meaning of Christmas?" He lifts his head off my lap and looks at me with tired eyes. The eyes of a senior dog who has seen 10 Christmases come and go. Eyes that I hope will see many more come his way. Christmases that have filled me with laughter and joy while watching him with a squeaking new toy. Next I turn to Zumi, the matriarch of my pack. She is a gal that has had many life experiences and therefore must have an answer to the meaning of Christmas.
"Zumi?" I ask, "Can you tell me of the meaning of Christmas?" She stops licking her paw for a moment, cocks her head to one side as if she is contemplating an answer, then takes a deep breath and lays her head down peacefully. She has always been a dog that seeks peace. Often that peace came at the expense of conflict first, but she just wanted peace.
The last wise dog of my magi is Raider, and even though he just turned two, he is an old soul. He has a gentle heart, the kind that is typically created after seeing much heartache. "Raider," I whisper, "Tell me my young lad what you know of the meaning of Christmas." He looks at me with eyes so deep and soulful, it is as if you are seeing every life of every dog that ever lived. The eyes that are the windows to a heart that gives only one thing, and that one thing is love.
So there you have it, straight from the mouths of my three wise dogs. The meaning of Christmas is joy, peace and love. Hey isn't that on a Christmas card somewhere?
Joan Klucha has been working with dogs for more than 15 years in obedience, tracking and behavioural rehabilitation. Contact her through her website k9kinship.com.
