The Older I Get, the More I Appreciate a Quiet Day With My Dogs

There was a time when a good day meant going somewhere.

There needed to be plans, people to see, errands to run, or something interesting happening. Staying home all day could almost feel like I was wasting it.

I don’t feel that way anymore.

These days, some of my favorite days are the ones when there isn’t much happening at all.

The coffee is hot. The house is quiet. There’s nowhere I absolutely have to be. And somewhere nearby, usually much closer than necessary, are my dogs.

I’ve come to appreciate those days more than I ever expected.

A Quiet Day Doesn’t Feel Empty Anymore

Living with dogs changes what “being home” feels like.

You’re never really alone.

Even when the house is quiet, there’s usually a dog sleeping nearby. Another might be watching out the window. Someone eventually decides it’s time to follow you into the kitchen just in case you’ve suddenly developed an uncontrollable urge to hand out treats.

With five dogs in my house, I’m rarely able to move from one room to another unnoticed.

If I get up, somebody gets up.

Then another one follows.

Before long, I’ve got a little parade behind me even though I’m only going to refill my coffee.

I’ve gotten so used to it that it simply feels like part of home.

Dogs Are Very Good at Doing Nothing

Humans aren’t always good at this.

We tend to think we should be accomplishing something.

There’s always another chore. Another phone call. Another thing that could be cleaned, organized, fixed, or crossed off a list.

Dogs don’t seem burdened by any of that.

A dog can lie in a patch of sunshine for an hour without wondering whether they should be doing something more productive.

They can sit beside you on the porch and watch absolutely nothing happen.

They can nap after breakfast and wake up feeling as though they’ve had a perfectly successful morning.

Maybe that’s one of the things dogs quietly teach us.

Not every moment has to accomplish something.

Sometimes it’s enough just to enjoy it.

I’ve Started Noticing the Little Things More

When life slows down, you notice things that are easy to miss on busy days.

The little sigh a dog makes when settling into a comfortable spot.

The way they circle a blanket before lying down even though the blanket was perfectly fine to begin with.

The sound of paws padding down the hallway.

The dog who somehow knows you’re headed toward the kitchen before you’ve even made the decision yourself.

Even their routines become comforting.

They know when it’s breakfast time.

They know when you’re getting ready to go outside.

And they definitely know when you’re five minutes late with dinner.

These aren’t big moments.

Nobody takes pictures of most of them.

But they’re the moments that make up a life with dogs.

Sitting Together Has Become One of My Favorite Things

Dogs don’t require conversation to be good company.

That’s something I appreciate more as I’ve gotten older.

You don’t have to entertain them every minute. You don’t have to think of something interesting to say.

You can simply sit together.

Maybe you’re watching television while a dog sleeps beside you.

Maybe you’re sitting outside while they sniff the air and keep an eye on the yard.

Maybe you’re reading while one curls up at your feet.

There’s something peaceful about having another living creature nearby who doesn’t need anything from the moment except to be there with you.

Of course, this peaceful scene can end instantly if somebody sees a squirrel.

But that’s life with dogs.

My Schedule Isn’t Entirely Mine, and That’s Okay

A quiet day with dogs still has a schedule.

Breakfast must happen.

Doors must be opened.

Water bowls need filling.

Walks or trips outside aren’t optional simply because you’d rather stay in your chair.

And dinner time is apparently written into a dog’s internal clock with astonishing accuracy.

Years ago, I might have thought of those things as interruptions.

Now I see them differently.

They’re little markers throughout the day.

They get me moving. They get me outside. They give the day a comfortable rhythm.

And when you live with several dogs, there always seems to be somebody who needs something.

Sometimes that’s exactly what gets you out of the chair.

Home Has Become a Place I Truly Enjoy Being

I think this may be one of the biggest changes that comes with getting older.

You begin to realize that excitement isn’t the only thing that makes a day worthwhile.

Peace can do that too.

So can familiarity.

So can sitting in your favorite chair with a dog asleep beside you and nowhere you need to rush off to.

There’s a comfort in knowing the sounds of your own home.

The refrigerator humming.

A television playing quietly.

A dog snoring much louder than seems physically possible.

Tags jingling when somebody gets up.

Toenails clicking across the floor.

Those sounds may seem ordinary.

But ordinary can be pretty wonderful.

Dogs Don’t Care Whether Today Was Exciting

Your dog isn’t disappointed because you didn’t accomplish enough today.

They aren’t keeping track of whether you went somewhere interesting.

They don’t care whether the laundry is folded or whether you crossed everything off your list.

If they got to spend the day near you, they probably consider it a pretty good day.

That’s a nice way to look at life.

We spend so much time waiting for special occasions.

Vacations. Holidays. Birthdays. Big plans.

Dogs seem perfectly capable of enjoying Tuesday afternoon.

Maybe we should be too.

These Ordinary Days Won’t Always Feel Ordinary

This is the part I’ve come to understand more with age.

Time moves quickly.

Dogs make that especially obvious because their lives never seem long enough.

One day, the dog following you into the kitchen is young and bouncing around your feet.

Then somehow, years have passed.

The pace slows.

The naps get longer.

Maybe getting onto the couch requires a little help.

That’s when you realize something important.

All those quiet days weren’t days when nothing happened.

They were days you got to spend together.

The naps on the couch mattered.

The slow walks mattered.

Sitting outside together mattered.

Even being followed from room to room mattered.

Those were the good days. We just didn’t always recognize them while they were happening.

Maybe a Quiet Life Isn’t Such a Small Life

I still enjoy going places and doing things.

But I no longer believe a day has to be busy to be worthwhile.

Sometimes I look around and realize that everything I need for a pretty good afternoon is already here.

A comfortable chair.

Something good to drink.

A little sunshine coming through the window.

And dogs scattered around the house, at least until I stand up and they all decide we’re apparently going somewhere.

There’s a lot to be said for that kind of life.

Dogs have a way of making ordinary days feel full without making them complicated.

They remind us to go outside.

They give us reasons to laugh.

They keep us company.

They make sure we’re never completely alone.

And they teach us, if we’re paying attention, that happiness doesn’t always arrive as something big and exciting.

Sometimes happiness is a quiet house, a slow afternoon, and a dog sleeping beside you.

The older I get, the more I realize that’s not a day when nothing happened.

That’s a day well spent.