A pink, temporary reminder

Remember the fallen
London, ON
May 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I probably have better things to do at 6 a.m., like sleep. But life with a schnauzer means the day starts early, usually with a wet nose worming its way into my ear.

I should be annoyed, because, you know, sleep. But once I get on my feet and out the door with her, it's anything but annoying. And more often than not, I end up seeing things I would have otherwise missed.

Like these fallen blooms on the sidewalk beside our house. The tree has been there forever, and every year around this time it blooms a stunning shade of pink. The spectacle lasts for a few days, tops, and we're usually too busy to notice. All that zipping back and forth, to and from the responsibilities of an adult life, means little time to appreciate temporary pink blooms. That time thing again.

But when I'm rubbing cobwebs out of my brain and sucking in the first taste of the morning with my little furry buddy, time doesn't seem to matter as much. I've got bandwidth, breathing room, even, to notice the things I usually can't. Or maybe it's won't. Even Calli seems to appreciate the difference, as she behaves differently on our morning walks - quieter, more patient. Which is weird, because she's usually the very antithesis of quiet and patient.

Yet on this morning, she allows me to crouch down on the ground on all fours to take in the spectacle of fallen blooms. Which, if I don't capture them today, will be gone just as soon as they first showed themselves. And while I line up the shot - clearly looking like an idiot to anyone else who might come across us - she quietly stands to the side, not pulling on her leash, not chasing after the rabbit chewing the grass on the lawn across the street. Just watching me, as if she knew this was something both of us needed to do this morning.

Time moves faster than we'd like, and if life has taught me anything, it is how easily moments like this can slip unnoticed into the past if we don't try a little harder to grab onto them. This quivering ball of fur is my built-in alarm clock, and guide, who ensures I never miss moments like this. Smart little girl, she is.

After all, I can always find other times to catch up on my sleep . But these blooms will be gone with the first wind.

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