My Four-Legged Guru: An Aging Dog’s Tail

My little dog Lucky has always been my best friend. Lucky is an 8-pound Morky: half Yorkie/half Maltese. She’s had her share of up’s and down’s over the course of her seven years with us, hard-won whisps of grey mixed in with her salt and paper beard.

But as she transits beyond puppyhood and well into midlife, she has grown into something much more. She is now not only my best friend, but my four-legged guru. Here are seven spiritual lessons I’ve learned from the master in my lap.

Carol Orsborn is Founder of FierceWithAge, the Digest of Boomer Wisdom, Inspiration and Spirituality. Dr. Orsborn is the best-selling author of 21 books including her newest book: Fierce with Age: Chasing God and Squirrels in Brooklyn. With a doctorate in religion from Vanderbilt, Dr. Orsborn is a sought after speaker/retreat leader and spiritual director.

Let Others Know How You Feel

With Lucky, you always know where she stands. Normally, her tail is up and all is well. Sometimes, her tail is at half-mast, indicating that she’s somewhere on the spectrum between cautiously optimistic and on alert. Occasionally, her tail is tucked firmly between her back legs, and we know she’s either afraid, sad or ill. Compare Lucky’s willingness to share her feelings with the people in our lives who mask their emotions. Some act as if everything’s fine when really it’s anything but, eventually sinking into depression or exploding with the truth. Others play the victim, taking unfair advantage of our sympathy for personal gain. Lucky’s way is better, giving others—not to mention her tail—a fair shake.