Walking the Dogs.

What to do when you don't know what to do?

-Walk the dogs.

What to do when life seems to be determined to bury you under a ton of crap, none of which is within your control?

-Walk the dogs.

When you are depressed, when you can't sleep, when life lessons all seem to be painful ones, when you feel almost psychotic from lack of sleep, when your tolerance level is exhausted, and all that's left is "act as if?"

-Walk the dogs.

Life goes on - no matter whether I'm feeling pain or sorrow or frustration or misery or joy or glee or delight, the dogs still need to be walked. My mental state isn't their problem. My worries are not their concern. This little piece of canine reality helps to ground me when I'm feeling anxious or unsettled - I must still walk the dogs.

I gather up the leashes and put on the collars amongst the wiggling tail-thrashing excited anticipation of - an hour of one foot in front of the other, until we're done.

Some days, that is how I have to get through the entire day from beginning to end - one foot in front of the other, until I'm done. My dogs don't care if I'm struggling with issues large or small, they want their walk, and they want it now, please.

Actually, it's more like pleasepleasepleaseplease-oh-please!