Sometimes it’s the simplest things that make you smile or get the warm fuzzies. I always try to see the silver lining and be grateful; sometimes that can be a challenge. But mostly I just have to take a look around me.

Waking up to the soulful loving eyes of Molly is one of those things. I’m reading a book (from my friend Sandy) that I hesitated to start. It’s called “A Dogs Journey “. There’s pain in loving a dog since their life span is so short. Saying goodbye is brutal. The book is written in the voice of the dog and in its reincarnations it becomes a new dog and finds its purpose and its people. In its current life the dog is named Molly and has a brother Rocky. The evil character is Gloria. Go figure. The dog Molly is the narrator and loves walks and cuddles and hearing her name. She also loves the smell of her human. When we go to bed at night, our Molly finds her spot near our feet. She loves to stretch out and lay on her side. However by morning she’s got her head on the pillows next to me. As I open my eyes we connect. Then she enjoys a cuddle and rubs. Don’t stop though or she will bat you with her (gigantic) paw.

Rudy is a reliable and consistent dog rubber. As he says good morning he’s petting Molly. Yesterday morning I felt lousy. Not sure exactly why but it may have been the wine with dinner? I was supposed to travel to my folks for some appointments. Rudy, without hesitation, handled Molly’s morning routine and then took off in my place to Stratford. I stayed in bed with Molly. It was exactly what the doctor ordered. Rudy stepped into my role with such grace. He even played cards with my dad and fended off my moms guilt barrages. When I finally woke hours later I was parched. The thought of getting up to find a drink was not good. When I rolled over I saw that Rudy had left several drinks on my bedside table. Beyond grateful.

When you’re not feeling 100% my go to antidote is a hot bath. Actually I don’t need an excuse for a bath. I’m a serial bather. On the weekend my sister gifted me with bath bombs from Lush. So I popped one in. The water immediately turned a bright tropical blue and the aroma was heavenly. I slipped into the tub and let the heat soothe me into oblivion. I had a fleeting thought to what my sister might be doing at that exact moment… meeting, conference call, report, presentation. For sure not bathing.

Molly didn’t leave my side all day. She patiently waited for me to get mobile and take her out. We had a great walk in the park. She patiently poses for anyone who meets her and wants to know her breed. Almost everyone comments that she’s like a little bear. I tell them that’s her name: Molly Bear Florio. She’s registered. Molly’s fur is growing back and she’s super fuzzy. And cute. If you type the word Molly, the auto fill option is mollycoddled. That’s perfect.

Laundry is one of my favourite things. It’s kind of a weird thing to love something that many others deem a necessary evil. But there’s something about the feel and smell of clean clothing and linens. We generate a lot of laundry; we aren’t too eco-friendly on that part. In my fog yesterday I still did a load. When I emptied the drier I found $40. The new bills are so washer friendly! And they dry nicely as well. Bonus!

Even on an otherwise crappy day there’s so much to be grateful for. Thank you universe.