Things I learned from my dog

_My dog, Ruby, died yesterday.  I miss her like crazy already.  And I've been thinking about some of the things Ruby taught me, like:

1.  Enjoy your food.  Every morsel of every meal is to be delighted in.
2.  You CAN learn empathy, even if it doesn't come naturally to you, and even if you've had a rotten child(puppy)hood.
3.  You can be smart, and behave, and learn a lot of tricks, but you should never ignore your core instincts.
4.  Let yourself mellow with age.  It's all good.
5.  You can be bad-ass and super sweet in the same package. 
6.  Protect the things you love.  A big bark and a flash of teeth, used judiciously, can go a long way.

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