After a period of stressful moments and raw sadness and also a beautiful weekend of quality time with my husband, I started to focus on my personal vision of life in general again. Creating a meaningful life for yourself isn’t about being a happy camper all the time, it’s also about embracing the limitations. Death is part of life, loss of what matters to you happens to all of us. Whether it is a beloved one, a job, a friendship, or even a favorite product.
Compromise
My personal plan was to invite another furry friend into our world next spring. Walking through the rain, snow and freezing cold days… to be able to skip this for a season seemed to be a good idea to me. In addition, to be able to go out more freely and thus without having to consider a dog needs, I convinced myself was what I needed for a while.
However, I am a happily married woman and I noticed my husband wasn’t feeling himself. After another conversation regarding our mutual life vision, we both agreed: this big farmhouse and land screams for a life with at least one dog. A relationship is to me all about being individuals finding common ground, compromise and creating a meaningful life together.
One of the compromises we made: inviting a new furry friend in our Dreampack as soon as possible, while my husband will do the walks in the dark periods of the day as much as possible.
Fear of loss
Brutally honest, you have to be it towards yourself too. Besides not digging the darker months of the year, my true reluctance of bringing another dog into our life, was the fear of having to say goodbye again in the future. Usually, you outlive a dog and the day that you will have to decide to let go again, will come. How can I survive another loss of a beloved one? That was going through my mind and thus withholding me from following my own vision of life.
My personal vision, and also the combined vision of my husband and me, is to invite more dogs into our Dreampack. Dogs from shelters, who don’t find a new home easily due to behavioral related issues. Reminding myself, it wasn’t the first loss I experienced recently and to be able to fulfill my vision of a meaningful life, I have to embrace the not so fun part too.
Only you can create a meaningful life for yourself
As much as I love to connect with people on a global scale, the connections made with dogs (and other animals) are irreplaceable. Dogs teach you the true meaning of unconditional love and friendship. Only you can decide what it means to live with meaning and thus only you can create a meaningful life. And so did and do we. Without further delay, meet Danja 😊

Isn’t she beautiful?!

Bonding with my husband
Danja wasn’t found to be good enough to be trained as a police-dog or to perform in similar based trainings for competitive dog-sports. Her former owner took her in after an urgent appeal, she needed a new home, because the original owner was dealing with mental issues.
When he discovered Danja wasn’t ‘fit’ to be trained as mentioned, he decided to look for a home with people who wouldn’t keep trying and possible break te kind spirit of her.

The sofa is so comfortable 🙂

Enjoying her new bed
She will become 2 years old upcoming January, is a Dutch Sheppard and since last Saturday a new member of our Dreampack. Learning all about living in our household: It’s ok to rest on the sofa, it is not ok to try to steal the food of our plates. Fortunately, she happens to be a quick learner. As all goes as planned and we manage to create our vision of a meaningful life, Danja is going to assist us in the future providing a Dreampack for other dogs.
More about my vision of a lifestyle: Life Connection – A way of life and more.
Or read: Human Being Human
7 Responses
Oh Patty, she is beautiful!!! I’ve had my dog for 12 years now and I often think about what life would be without her and then I snap back to reality to enjoy the present. I’ve only recently been practising mindfulness which helps to keep me focused on the here and now. I hope you are doing well. ??
Thanks dear Stephanae ! Yes, mindfulness is a great tool indeed 🙂 Adjusting to again a new normal, but thriving. Thanks for visiting again, XxX
Wow 🙂 Always good to be brutely honest and focus on what really makes you happy …goes together with embrasing everything that’s a part of life and living… zo congratulations 🙂 🙂 and wish you a great time with Danja; she’s beautifull! xx
Thank you dear Helena! Also for the continuous support, highly appreciated. XxX
wow, a new member. I am so happy for you guys.
Thanks dear friend ! Got your email, will reply soon, XxX