Walks with Maggie

 

Today was my last walk with Maggie.  Although our beloved chocolate lab rested several days ago, today was our last walk.  Let me explain, I was tasked with the daily morning walks with Maggie, except for Saturday.  Before she came into our lives, I really didn't do fitness, other than mowing the lawn.  I was using an iPod Nano at the time as my watch.  It had the Nike app on it to track your running.  So, I used the app for my walks with Maggie.  That fateful Friday, 2,981 total miles were logged: Walks in the rain, walks in the cold, short walks, long walks, slow walks, fast walks, multiple poop bag walks.  I believe dogs were placed on this earth to teach us bumbling humans about life.  During those walks and her life, Maggie taught me a lot.

 

• Commitment: Most of her life, she was very particular about schedule.  Varying from it would get you the whimpering wake up call,  somewhere between 4:30 to 5:00 am.  When the time change "fell back," Maggie's schedule didn't.  That was rough.
• Exercise: Over time, I added strength training before and after our walks.  When we moved back to Florida, I even tried running.  Starting the day exercising helped me cope with our ever changing world. The last few years, the best part of the walk was wiping off her paws.  I took the opportunity to give her a big hug every morning.
• Trust: Maggie walked off leash.  I had to trust her to listen to me and not to run away. In the beginning, she liked to run ahead sometimes.  She would always find a smell that made her stop that allowed me to catch up.  When I needed her to, she always listened.
• Patience: As she got older, the walks took longer.  Like any dog, she loved to smell.  I'd give her some time before nicely nudging her along.  This last year, I let her take as long as she wanted relishing our time together. 
• How to comfort: Maggie was there for my family during tough times.  She showed me that you don’t really have to say a word.  She would jump up next to you putting her head on your lap.  
• Take time to do nothing:  She loved to sun herself in the front yard right under the two large palm trees.  She'd lift her head to smell the wind.  I would sit down next to her in the grass watching the world go by, all the busyness and demands of life would wash away.
• Unconditional love:  Maggie would always greet you at the door when you came home.  She would get you to rub her belly and scratch her ears.  She'd give you great hugs.  She'd head butt you.  She'd pick up a toy in her mouth and fling it at you.  You could never stay mad or frustrated at her for long.  She always loved you no matter what you did.

 

I don't post on Facebook often.  However. on November 7, 2019, I posted that I and Maggie had walked 2,500 miles together.  Maggie was already a diabetic at that time.  She didn't walk as far as she had done for so many years.  Maybe once a week, we'd walk almost a mile.  When I posted that milestone, I wasn't sure if we would get to the next one.  Over two years since that post, we made it to 2,981 miles.  When time was short, I decided that we would walk the last 19 miles.  So, these past few days, I've woken up at Maggie time and walked.  Turning on my daily podcasts and the starting the Nike app, I tried to stop at the places that Maggie would have stopped.  I'd close my eyes and smell the wind.  In the evenings, my wife and daughter would also help me on this quest.  I tried not to cry as Maggie taught me her final lesson, how to grieve and cope who you love.  She gave me the last 19 miles to remember her.  Maggie will never really be gone.  Her lessons will be with me forever.  

 

As believers in Christ, I know that we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, our helper, comforter, and teacher.  I believe the Holy Spirit uses all of God's creation to fulfill His role.  Maggie was our little agent of the Holy Spirt, our dearest friend.  She taught us so much.  She helped us cherish life.  She comforted us everyday.  Thank you Maggie.  We love you 3000.