Monday, May 11, 2009

Puppy Feet and Baby Shoes

                                   *Angel Daughter Number Three and Micah sharing the love.

I am watching him grow.  At four and a half months and nearly forty pounds, each day, our sweet puppy Micah, causes me to pause and take in the subtle changes which occur almost invisibly and without notice.  His rapid rate of growth startles me as I check his collar to make sure that it is fitting comfortably, only to find out that the adjustment that Mark made yesterday, is no longer sufficient today.
It is like when my Angels were little, tiny people and I would go to place their perfect little shoes on their feet only to find out that after several weeks of owning them, the shoes no longer fit.  And yet, I never witnessed the changes happening.  They occurred right before my eyes, while I somehow blindly watched.
Micah is the fourth dog that Mark and I have had.  The third of which we have adopted from puppyhood.  And yet, as the younger years of my life zipped by at rapid speed, I don't remember how quickly all of the changes happened.  The growth, the transformation, the awkward process of growing into one's own feet and finally...
The Wings.

As my family surrounded me, yesterday, I thought about how far we all have come in such a relatively short period of time.  I thought about pregnancies and flutter-kicks.  I thought about babies at my breast and baby's first wobbly steps.  I recalled first words, first days of school, first dances and first heartbreaks.  And I thought about little feet growing out of their shoes.

At forty-six years old, the fast-moving pace of life is something that I wish I could grab hold of in order to slow it down.  I wish that I could freeze slices of time.  Watching Micah grow right before my eyes, heralds in the feeling that although I cannot slow down the tempo of life, I can slow down my own perception of  it.  I can take the time to notice the little shifts and transformations which occur slowly, but constantly.

I can remind myself to not only watch for growing feet, but growing wings, as well.

10 comments:

tj said...

...Hello Angel Deb!*waving*... This is a beautiful post as always. It is so true and it's funny how I tell myself now to slow down, watch, listen, that the moments are fleeting - remember this minute, this hour, this day.

...That close-up of the paws? Priceless! And of course the photo of the Angels is too... :o)

...I think of you often and hope you are doing well!

...{{{Hugs}}} & blessings too...

Mickey (Michel) Johnson said...

pass the kleenex. time does fly doesn't it? my first baby is 15 and my second just hit double digits at 10! where did it all go and how did it happen so fast? love the paws...we have a few of those around our house...xo, mickey

Maria-Thérèse ~ www.afiori.com said...

Beautifully written. This is something I have to try to focus on as well because I also feel that time moves too quickly. (And sometimes not at all when you really want it to...)

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

I know I'm supposed to leave a gooey comment about how sweet this was (and it was, oh yes it was!!) but I can't help wondering...do those puppy feet smell like Fritos???

Hallie :)

Jacque said...

That was so good! I see all your girls together and it makes me smile yet my heart aches for my two sisters. In our adult lives we are very close in heart yet we live far apart. I like your comment about how you can't slow down the tempo of life, but you can change your perception, I find that to be the answer to living a joyful life. Our perception alone can change the way things are. Your writing is always uplifting to me, thank you~Jacque

Ness said...

Love the post and pics, Deb. Nothing better than looking at angels and dogs...I sometime think the words are synonomous. Both bring unconditional love.

Bogart said...

Beautiful dog...and that family?

Smok'n.

Catherine Holman said...

I always took pictures of my kids feet and hands because they grew so quickly and I wanted to remember how tiny they were. I never thought to photograph the feet of all the dogs that brought joy to our lives. We've had many, many dogs over the years.
Hugs,
Cathie

rivergardenstudio said...

Your puppy is adorable, especially his paws, and your daughters lovely. I agree that it is so important to take time to see the subtle changes in those we love as they grow up. It happens so fast... Roxanne

Something Happened Somewhere Turning said...

That pup is growing and your daughters are just beautiful. What a lovely family.

xx beaux

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