I Cried at Work

First of all, my job is pretty great. It's a dog friendly place, and there are quite a few customers who visit with their dogs in tow. Some customers even push their dogs in doggy strollers. It's rather cute. Me crying has nothing to do with a bad experience at work, but it has more to do with heart touching moment.

Just a few days ago, there was a local pet masquerade featuring plenty of dogs in costume. I even saw a dachshund with a tiny stuffed cowboy in its back. Adorable! The real tearjerker though was an older golden retriever without a costume. The owners were incredible friendly, and we got to talking about how much they love their dogs. I told them I grew up with a golden retriever, and we bonded a bit over what incredible pets golden retrievers make. I asked them if they had ever read Dean Koontz's book A Big Little Life and she said they had not read it. This is when the tears formed on my lower eye lids and I wiped a couple away before they had the chance to trickle down my cheek. I miss my beloved golden retriever Gnomie. Sometimes seeing people with a golden, quite often one that looked like mine, is just enough to make me misty-eyed.

After the first couple of tears in my eyes, their golden came my way and let me massage her soft ears, which was always something I loved doing to my own dog, Gnomie. They told me about how they rescued their second dog from a shelter, and while talking about how much my husband and I would love having a golden some day, their golden came over to me and pushed her head up against my leg. It was almost as if she was letting me know it was okay to cry. Many dogs possess the ability of knowing exactly when we need a little comforting. It was very touching speaking with these people, and I was very thankful for the opportunity. The woman even came back up to the register before leaving and thanked me. I'm still not exactly sure what she thanked me for, because I feel very thankful for getting the chance to pet their dog and talk with them about their animals.

Animals, especially dogs, have such an amazing ability to soften our hearts and make us want to become better people. I am hopeful for the day when my husband and I get to have our own golden retriever. They are sometimes the best at comforting a sad heart. It's okay to cry, and dogs will always be there to wipe away a tear without judgement. They offer endless unconditional love. What a gift.