Spring break, in a word, “uneventful,” two weeks of me and the dog, by the end of it, she was sick of me and to prove it, she left me a pile of barf underneath the kitchen table.  I’ll chalk it up to the weather and too much time on my hands, I was uninspired, sloth-like with zero motivation, I couldn’t kick the feeling. It didn’t help that the dog shuffled around from one corner of the house to the other,  with a heavy sigh to remind me she was still there.  To be honest, even writing was becoming a chore, writer’s block or perhaps it’s called “I NEED A F’N HOLIDAY!”   I was angry at myself for not making plans and resentful of those who managed to escape the rain. If it wasn’t for a few good friends in town, I thought I was going to lose my mind. My laptop was getting a workout, searching all travel websites, desperately trying to find a last-minute deal to anywhere, craving sunshine in the worst way.  Sadly, nothing seemed to come together and I quickly realized I had nowhere to send my furry friend, sigh…

This was my first spring break on my own, “all by myself,” flashback to the first Bridget Jones movie,  Celine Dion blaring in the background, my spring break was not dissimilar, minus Mr Darcy and Daniel Cleaver, or any other man for that matter.  It felt a bit weird, not in a bad way, just that it wasn’t my normal.  My home has always been a buzz of kids, friends and of course the dog…oh my god, that dog!  I’ve come to the conclusion, she has me wrapped around her “paws”, so to speak.  Case in point, we walk when she wants to and she’ll only walk with me, (unless you have a pocket full of dog treats) which isn’t ideal.  Forget walking when she’s not in the mood, I end up looking like a dog thief, tugging on a dog who has no interest in cooperating.

The days go by,  the weather uninspiring…if she’s not sleeping, she whines to be outside, in, out, in, out, it’s literally the revolving door, with me as the doorman.  Ok, so she’s an old girl, she’s stubborn and set in her ways (ha! maybe we are alike) but I can’t help think, was she missing her normal too?   They say dogs can sense emotions and have empathy for their owners…

Was spring break another lesson of letting go of my normal, embracing change and letting things happen as they come?  Did the dog sense my anxiety, fear and sadness, or perhaps she struggles with change as well.  I feel as though we conquered our new normal together (whatever that is) hopefully, with more doors opening and with less closing.

LC