The Sweetest Thing

I've posted this before, but I feel it could be said again.  There is a reason I enjoy having dogs in my life.  They make me feel good.  So, let me give you an example.

Lately I have not been sleeping well.  Between a bit of stress, a lack in strong physical activity, and a general overall feeling of blah, sleep has suffered severely.  With a lack of sleep, I've found myself cranky and irritable.  I am finding it harder and harder to be in the Christmas spirit.

Well, this morning I was in a state of partial sleep, mostly awake (as I was all night).  I was marvelling a bit at the fact that the fosters had not yet woken, and was worrying that the cats, who were hungry, would start asking for food and step on my bladder.  I could feel myself tensing up, and getting cranky over the fact that I had spent another night without a good night's sleep.  That's when I felt it.  I felt little, wet kisses on my hand.  I looked down, and there was Cody.  Cody was laying on his back, tilted slightly towards me, with his front paws wrapped around my arm.  He was giving my hand little kisses, and when I opened my eyes and looked at him he wagged his tail.

I could feel my bad mood vanishing with every thud, thud, thud of that tail.  With a few more kisses, the bad mood was almost completely gone, but what finally did the trick was when Cody pulled himself up closer and snuggled up under my chin.  All he seemed to say was, "Mommy, I love you.  Hold me."  How could anyone be in a cranky mood with that sentiment?

Cody seems to be great at doing that.  I suppose that's why I don't understand how some people don't like or don't want dogs.  What do they do when they're stressed or in a bad mood?  Who snuggles up to them?  Who has a soft coat for them to run their hands through?  Who amuses them my pouncing after a toy or getting confused by a butterfly? 

Anyway, my bad mood is no longer here, and I have a great smile on my face as Cody tries to decide whether to play with his Kong toy or with the cats (who don't want to play quite as much as Cody does).  Much happiness!!!