The joy of change

I have lived alone for many years. When you live alone for a long time, you get used to doing what you damn well please when you damn well please--for the most part, anyway. My routine got turned upside down 6 1/2 weeks ago when I adopted Missy, my Shih Tzu puppy. Now, there are Sheri's routines and there are Missy's routines and sometimes they clash, so Sheri's needs sometimes must take a back seat to Missy's.

Change is sometimes uncomfortable or even painful, but it is most often for the good. For a long time, I have tended to be too selfish, and caring for another living thing is helping me change that (and in return, of course, she gives me gobs of love and affection).

Since I am retired now, I have had the luxury of avoiding going outside when it is unpleasant--raining, snowing, extremely cold or windy--but living in a condo with a puppy, I no longer have this luxury. The dog must be walked. Change.

Between her energy, her friendliness and her "Nosy Nora" nature, Missy asks to out about every 2 hours. Naive me, I thought a dog asking to "go out" meant "I have to go potty." But, with Missy, sometimes it means "There is neighbor outside and I want to go say hi!" or "The Verizon man is across the street working on the power and I want to go say hi!" or "Denise (the condo sales manager) is in her office and I want to go say hi!" or "I see leaves falling from the trees and I want to go chase them!" or "I see Lynx (the neighbor's cat) and I want to go play with her!" So now I know to say "no" to some of her requests, especially when it's pouring rain or freezing cold.

Anticipating those freezing cold early-morning walks, I went and bought a double-layer ski-type jacket. I hate the cold. But go out in the cold I must...and right out of a warm bed, too. Change! Now that I have learned proper bundling-up procedure for those morning walks and can actually be comfortable while I'm out there, I've come to enjoy them more. Not to say I'm going to encourage hour-long walks in the freezing cold, but I'm at least not grumbling anymore.

Fall and spring are my favorite times of year. My absolute favorite weather comes at these times--a beautiful sunny day where the sun is warm but the air has a fresh coolness. I have always disliked losing those beautiful fall days to cold, harsh winter--and even moreso now that I have to be outside a lot more than I used to--but the seasons are inevitable. Change.

And now we have a new President-elect. This is change I can smile about!