CONTENT WARNING: poop — the word, many times, and a photo…
A couple weeks ago, my dog Buddy (aka Buddy the Love Dog) did something I had wanted him to do for a long time: he pooped right in front of a “don’t poop here” sign.
The sign doesn’t actually say “don’t poop here.” The sign is shaped like a dog pooping, with a big NO! on it.
Now, I know some of you might be like, “well, that’s not cool. He shouldn’t poop where it says not to poop.” But here’s the deal:
It’s right on the edge of somebody’s front yard, right next to the street. Have a sign reminding people to pick up after their dogs makes sense, but this? I don’t think so.
Signs like that invite dogs to approach them, to sniff them, and then… well, that can lead to the dog deciding that it’s the perfect place to poop.
You can’t necessarily just stop a dog from pooping where that dog has decided to poop. Don’t want to train him to think he shouldn’t poop!
You don’t always notice what your dog is doing, when you’re standing there looking at your phone, or looking around at the trees, while your dog is sniffing a funny little sign that is actually encouraging what it’s trying to discourage.
But point number 3 is what I really want to focus on here.
Buddy pooping in front of this sign was not only so wonderful because I always thought it would be funny if he did, but it was also wonderful because of the timing and it being like a message from the Universe.
You see, I was on the phone with a friend, and when I told her what had just happened, she pointed out how perfect it was.
Why was it perfect? Because I was asking for support and prayers—and perspective from her as a flight attendant… I was upset regarding people I care about, people I love, choosing to travel for Thanksgiving despite the covid numbers rising and some other factors I won’t get in to here.
We were talking about how you can’t control what others do. You can share your perspective. You can make requests. But people are going to do what they want to do.
And what they do makes sense to them.
There will always be people in our lives we care about, and we see them making choices we don’t agree with, but we have to learn to let it go. To just love them and accept their choices.
But I digress— sure that’s some important stuff there, but back to Buddy’s poop!
I think it was divine guidance, divine intervention. Divine timing.
This friend I was talking to is actually a “prayer partner” I talk with every week since being matched as prayer partners in a class at the Center for Spiritual Living— but perhaps more on that and Science of Mind some other time.
What I want to say now is that it made sense that some sort of sign or revelation would occur during this walk and talk. It made sense that Buddy’s pooping spot that night would turn out to be like a message from God or the Universe or whatever you want to call it.
Buddy’s poop was a miracle. It was just what I needed.
It made me laugh. And it made my prayer partner say, “see? can’t control them.” ;-) All you can do is love them.
And I do.
Buddy wasn’t being bad. He was just being true to his natural urges. To his bodily functions. To his needs.
And while I do think that’s different than choosing to do something like travel during a pandemic, the point is the same: we can’t control others; all we can do is love them. So even when it’s hard, we have to accept certain choices we don’t agree with, because the relationship—and the love—is more important than “being right.”
Now, the only thing that could have made this better? If I could have gotten a picture while Buddy was pooping. I know, I know. Super gross, but think about it. Think about how funny that would be because of the sign.
But nope. Only got the after pic… In case you don’t want to see actual dog poop, don’t scroll down. I’ll share the emoji version first, and then the original pic.
And why would I share that? Well, in case seeing it provides a helpful visual, a helpful reminder— or just a good laugh.
But feel free to not look, to not scroll down. The choice is totally yours.
