Christmas Presence

Hey efurrypawdy, Maxx here.  I’m still working on finding my voice, but I have noticed something this Holiday season that I gotta share.  Now let me remind  you, I’m a dog.  Ok, take a moment and recover, it’s true.  Here’s a picture of me, well, being a dog:

Yup, I’m wearing the forest here.  But I digress.  So dogs learn slowly about the holidays.  We don’t much care if you celebrate Christmas or Hannukkah or Kwanzaa or the Solstice or refuse to celebrate. We have noticed folks just getting crazy this time of year shopping fur the perfect gift.

Crazy right? And then one day I was walking in the forest where I had gathered all of that glorious greenery that Mommers promptly removed when we returned home, and we came upon an awesome sight.  Right in the middle of the forest was a decorated tree.  All alone.  All sorts of ornaments hanging on it.  What the woof??  There was a bag hanging from it with a card in it.  Mommers went ofur and read the card.  WOW.  The ornaments were for dogs that had walked that trail before and could walk beside us no more.  The angel that started this left a bag of ornaments and a pen.  Each day more ornaments appeared.  It is such a sacred place in the forest to stop and remember those who we have loved and still love…

And it was then, as Mommers would stop efurry day that it started to become clear to me.  What matters most and what stays with humans is presence, not presents.  Each of those ornaments represented the presence someone so dearly wished they could enjoy again.  Nobody could shop for that.  No decorating or lights could make that happen.

Later we walked by a manger scene.  I noticed the “wise” men brought gifts that were quite expensive.  Mommers explained to me that the baby in the animal straw bed was sent to us from God to let us know we were loved and not alone.  I looked up at her and blinked.  “Well of course” she said.  It WAS completely natural to bring this peaceful being into the world among the original angels. The animals. The animals brought no formal gifts.  They were the gifts.  They were present.  They would not leave until it was safe.

So try not to worry this season or during the coming year so much about fancy gifts or things. Humans worry too much about that!  Try to bring the real present… presence.  See what someone needs and be there for them.

Furry Days to all, and to all a GREAT night.  May all of your dreams come true!