More Lessons from Amo

Amo is our four-legged child. He came to be a member of our family three Christmases ago. Over the three years, he has brought a lot of joy to our family. Yes, he is a lot of work, but somehow it is always worth it. Recently, I noticed two things about our pup that could teach us all a thing or two.No One Likes to Eat AloneWith two teenagers, we frequently don’t get to the dinner table until 7 or even 8pm. We are just like everyone else trying to manage the tension between our children’s extracurricular activities and family time. So far, the solution is to eat late so we can all be together. Not great for our physical health, but important for our family health. In the midst of these delays, Amo often gets hungry. He will stand by his bowl and let out a soft grunt. If ignored, he will proceed to increase in volume until we will come to his aid. Yet, if you fill the bowl and leave the room, he will not eat. If I am running out the door to pick up a child, the food will remain untouched until I return. If I exit the room to tend to something else, he will follow me into the other room with a mouth full of food and consume it there.I remember traveling for my job before kids. Even as a more introverted person, I did not like to eat alone. I think Amo agrees. We can get so busy in our own little world that we often don’t consider those in our lives that are alone. What if we committed to sharing a meal with someone who would otherwise be alone at least once a month? We were not created to live in isolation. Even Amo knows that.Calm is ContagiousOur previous home was far from most of our friends and daily activities. Visitors were less frequent. Now that we have moved back to civilization, we have more friends stopping by. This has been great, but Amo has had a rude awakening. For several weeks, he would ferociously bark at any one that came in the house. I could feel my blood pressure rise and would scoop Amo up and take him out back or put him on the leash. Seldom would he calm down. One day a friend stopped by while I was not home. The friend came in and talked with Chris and the kids. Amo minded his own business until I got home. When I entered, Amo returned to his previous behavior. Suddenly, I realized I was part of the problem. If I stopped trying to control and was calm, Amo would respond with calmness. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we have this same effect on all those around us. Do you create tension or calm? Are people feeding off of your negative energy or are you a source of peace? Make a choice to spread some calm in your circle.