You ever have one of those days when nothing goes right? How about a month, a year, or a life? You ever wonder why life keeps kicking you in the shin? I think we all do.
As many times as I’ve pondered on the unfairness of the cards I’ve been dealt, I can only imagine how much worse it’s been for the vast majority of rescue dogs. I have a place to live, food to eat, a community, and a new book that is helping to create awareness about rescue dogs. And with each book I sell I get to donate money to a rescue or shelter.
I love this quote. It’s been attributed to many people, or some variation, but I am leaving it unattributed because it doesn’t matter who said it first. What does matter is that it’s true not only for us, but for our dogs.
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
This statement is so simple yet so profound. As we move close out 2022 this truth is undeniable. I can’t go back to June 18, 2015. I’ve thought about that day so often. If I had not stopped at the beach. If we’d stayed at the beach longer. If we had taken the scenic route instead of the highway. If, if, if. The reality is that I can’t change the beginning of that or any other day or experience. We did get in a serious wreck. It did destroy my life as I knew it. We did have to leave Hawaii. We are in Wisconsin. I can choose to continue playing the what if game and trying to change that beginning or, which is what I choose to do, I can start today and tomorrow and every other day, to make a new ending.
Rescue dogs had a crummy hand dealt to them. They were born in the wild because their parents were never spayed or neutered. Or maybe they got loose with no tags or microchip and their family never found them. Maybe they were thrown away like garbage because they were no longer able to breed? A disturbingly large number of dogs in shelters are there because they were surrendered by their owners. Some of the reasons people give up a dog include lack of training, unable to financially afford a dog, allergies, changes in their lives such as divorce, losing a job, a new baby, or moving. These are valid reasons and it’s terribly hard on the owners. But as hard as the above list is on those experiencing these changes, imagine how hard it is on a dog.
Today could be the day you make a new ending. My dog is the reason I have the hope of a new and better ending than I did on June 18, 2015. The best thing about my new ending? It’s his new ending, too.
Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. How about being a shelter dog’s new ending? I Chose You, Imperfectly Perfect Rescue Dogs and Their Humans is a delightful book filled with stories of new beginnings. A portion of every book sold goes to help rescues and shelters. It’s a perfect book for dog lovers and now available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and other retailers. You can learn more by visiting https://www.amazon.com/author/carmenleal.
