They say all you ever need to really know in life you learn in kindergarten, and I’m not entirely sure I believe that. This quote is commonly found on a poster in an elementary school principal’s office. This poster usually comes with a list of lessons taught in kindergarten such as compassion, cooperation and sharing. For me, this quote never applied. I spent most of kindergarten crying because I was away from my mom, not learning all these things. Everything I ever needed to know in life I learned not from a teacher in a classroom, but at home from my dog -Wally.
Now, I’m not saying kids shouldn’t go to school and stay home all day with their dogs, but if you just simply observe, you’ll learn that even though they never say anything, dogs teach us life’s most valuable lessons.
For one, dogs teach us that it’s the simple things in life that make us the happiest. For Wally, it’s pulling sticks out of the fire pit, jumping for apples on a low tree branch in my backyard or getting sprayed with the garden hose. From watching Wally enjoy these things, I’ve learned that it’s the simple things money can’t buy that make us the happiest.
Dogs also teach us to stay positive through hard times. I won’t go into much detail, but the summer after my senior year of high school, Wally was rushed to the emergency vet clinic and had to undergo emergency surgery to stitch up the inside of his right thigh after a freak accident involving a fallen tree branch and a lot of blood. He spent weeks after the surgery wearing a cone around his head and laying on a mattress in our living room. Even though he was in such discomfort from his stitches, I knew he would fight through the pain while continuing to smile or wag his tail when we came by with spoons full of peanut butter hiding his medications.
Last Thursday, my dad sent me a picture of my Wally laying on the floor after getting his hair cut for the spring. My dad sends a lot of pictures of Wally, but this time the picture stopped me in my tracks. It was my energetic, fun-loving, sneezing dog (yes, he sneezes when he’s excited) with an out of character sad look on his face. His bones showed through his loose, wrinkled skin, and I got to thinking about the average life expectancy of a golden retriever. I was instantly saddened when I looked it up and realized Wally is about to surpass that age. This picture made me realize that life is precious, and you should treat every day like it’s your last.
Even though he looked depressed, I knew Wally still got up that morning, ran down the steps excited to go outside, wagged his tail by our pantry looking for a treat and I knew he smiled and sneezed as soon as he saw my dad. Regardless of what he looked like in the picture, I knew he still enjoyed life that day.
Even though dogs can be expensive, if you don’t already have one, I suggest you consider buying one. It’s the most “bark” for your buck you’ll ever get education-wise. From simply observing Wally for these past 12 years, I’ve been blown away by how much an animal can teach you about being a human.
Christian Gravius is a staff writer for the Bona Venture. His email is graviucc15@bonaventure.edu
