The Soothing Sound of Snoring

I sit in my home office, working on projects I need to get down. I’m a bit stressed, overwhelmed with deadlines and thoughts of my “to-do list”. My computer isn’t responding as quickly as I want, the house needs cleaning because company is coming, dinner needs planning and completing, and snow needs shoveling. So much to do, so little time to relax – or even get everything done. My fists clench and my jaw tightens. Then, I hear it – the sound of snoring.

I glance to the floor and see my two dogs, each deeply asleep on their respective blankets. Tails tightly tucked into their bodies, noses pressed into the softness of fleece. Deep sleep envelopes them, and the deeply saturated muzzles let out a sound so calmly, yet so comical. I smile, then laugh, and my tension melts away.

Why do we humans put so much pressure on ourselves? We let tensions and “to-dos” affect our behavior and our attitude. Especially “the little things”. So what if my house isn’t perfectly cleaned? Will my friends or family disown me? Most likely not. If dinner is served at 6:30 instead of 5:30, so what? If the snow gets shoveled 30 minutes later, what’s the big deal? The little things add up, but we’re the ones who keep the score.

Pets are great teachers of what’s really important: love, companionship, courage, and dedication. The soothing sound of snoring not only brings a smile, but brings a reminder of reality and implication of importance – slow down, love, appreciate, and don’t let the small stuff take away the smile to your day.