Dear 2022,
Year 2021 was one big whoosh. One would think time would crawl when plodding wearily through the second year of a global pandemic. Yet despite being cloaked in disquiet about the ongoing Covid crisis, numerous climate disasters, and all the horrible things that go along with both, I have gratitude for much of what the year brought. One thing the tenacious virus has taught me is a deeper appreciation of the small things, because at the end of the day, they are what truly matter. Eric and I have our health, we were finally able to hug our families again, we have carefully expanded our social dates from zoom calls to actually visiting with people in-person again, a young group of spunky deer has moved in at Shama Sanctuary, and our organic vegetable garden thrived through November. But the most surprising gift bestowed upon us by 2021 was a 4-month-old Belgian Malinois-mix that Eric and I welcomed into our family last March.
As with all the letters I’ve written to each new year since 2011, I have a promise to make to you, Year 2022. But first, I must tell you about our new puppy.
From the day the animal rescue delivered Lunabelle to us, we knew she was a special one. She seemed like a wise old woman trapped in a playful puppy’s body. That sage presence has deepened now that she is 13 months old. We braced ourselves for life with a puppy, thinking we’d have shredded belongings and potty-training accidents all over the house. But neither of those things happened. She has rarely gotten into anything that wasn’t hers. For a few months last summer, she was on a garden glove kick where she would gently bring one over and drop it down in front of me. And once she took a clean folded pair of socks out of the laundry basket and carried them over and set them at my feet. But other than that, for the most part, she intuitively knows which toys are hers and which things she should leave alone.
These are some things I admire about her:
- Lunabelle is curious and likes to learn. If a Mensa for dogs existed, she’d be a member. Her intelligence makes us look like rock star dog trainers, but in reality, we only need to teach a command a couple of times before she’s mastered it. She regularly sits and calmly observes—whether it be following us with her eyes as we work around the house, looking out the car window, or watching the goings on of people and animals when we are out for a hike. She’s intensely focused, as if the wheels in her head are turning as she gathers information, categorizes it, and files it away for later recall.
- Lunabelle loves to play, whether it be rolling on the floor together or chasing a ball, she knows the value of fun. Given she adores other dogs, her favorite place in the world is doggy daycare.
- Lunabelle lives for exercise. I’m mesmerized by her effortless grace as she leaps off the deck to the grass below and then breaks out into a full sprint around the pool while avoiding trampling the vegetable gardens. This dog is like a gymnast with all her muscles working in sync through each precise movement.
- Lunabelle cherishes her alone time. I’m the same way, so I respect her need to recharge in a corner of the house all by herself.
- Lunabelle is a cuddler. Hooray! This wasn’t always the case. It wasn’t until she turned 11 months old that the snuggling started. Before that, no matter how much I begged for her to join me on the sofa, she’d usually go off on her own to nap or gnaw on a chew toy.
- Lunabelle doesn’t hold grudges. If she is scolded, she remains chill and looks at us like, “Hmmm. Okay, I’ll do better next time,” and then moves on. Sulking isn’t in her repertoire.
- Lunabelle is kind to everyone she meets.
So, New Year. At this point it may be obvious that my promise to you is to be curious, play, exercise, cherish alone time, cuddle, not hold grudges, and be kind to people.
In short, my New Year’s resolution is to Be Like Lunabelle.
In closing, Year 2022, I think I love you already.
Sincerely,
Kee Kee
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