When You’re In the Golden Days

Learning how to appreciate the moments that need to be remembered forever.

My buddy, Pacer, is turning ten next month.

It’s hard to believe, actually. Our German Shepard entered our home roughly four weeks after we received our keys, and almost ten years later, he’s still here, taking in every bit of sunshine that peaks into our home and waiting for his daily walks through the neighborhood.

I love my buddy so much.

My wife and I rescued Pacer when he was about twelve weeks old. He’s celebrated every wedding anniversary, including our first when we brought our thirteen-week-old Pacer to a nice hotel in Berkeley, CA, and spent our anniversary giving him a doctor’s ordered IV because he was dehydrated.

We probably should have waited to get a puppy until after our anniversary, but if we had waited, we wouldn’t have Pacer, so no regrets over here.

In addition to celebrating every anniversary, Pacer has witnessed every major milestone in our family. This includes welcoming our two daughters and even his surprise Doberman brother, Biggie, who showed up on our doorstep one rainy afternoon as Pacer and I were leaving our house to go on a walk.

Tonight, as our family played basketball in the backyard, I sat back and watched everyone together. Biggie was playfully jumping at every bounce of the ball, and Pacer quietly walked around our game, not wanting to take part in the action but very much making his presence known.

As my four-year-old attempted to make a shot on our 7.5-ft. hoop and my seven-year-old practiced her dribbling, I smiled, knowing just how special it is to bask in these moments.

I remember being seven. I kind of remember being four. My girls are building core memories that will sneak up on them decades down the line, and I’ve got front-row seats to it all.

We are in the thick of family life. My kids are still young enough that they want to eat every meal at our dinner table, and the majority of their days are spent by our side, just like our dogs. Over the span of their lives, these dynamics will shift, but right now, the six of us are inseparable. I don’t take a second for granted.

Our two daughters and our two dogs — best of friends, in a season that will likely be the golden years of my life. Often, I look at the four of them and wish I could bottle up this feeling because just an ounce of this love could keep me going even on my worst days.

I know when my girls get older, they’ll pull up pictures from their childhood and see Pacer and Biggie, loving on them as they always do. Our pups will be woven into almost all of their childhood memories.

I know when they start their own lives and have their own pets, they’ll always remember their first dogs and the love they showed them from day one.

I know one day, no matter how much I try to avoid it, these pups will break our hearts and teach us what it means to truly miss someone you’ve never had a verbal conversation with but who knew you better than anyone on earth.

But today isn’t for lifelong lessons. Today isn’t for reminiscing about the good old days. Tomorrow will bring its own problems, but today I am filled with joy and gratitude.

I want to spend every waking moment taking in the comic relief that is Biggie, the 80 lb. Doberman who is currently curled up in a tiny ball underneath my daughter’s bed because that’s where he loves to sleep.

I want to spend every afternoon giving Pacer belly rubs as he lays on the warm pavement, basking in the sun and giving me all the kisses I could ever take.

I want to howl with my family as we always do when our dogs hear a siren and lose their minds.

I want the six of us to sit in the family room, spread out between the couch and our navy blue nugget, covered in every blanket in our home, on a Sunday afternoon, watching movies with popcorn and a couple of puppy treats for our boys.

When you’re in it, it’s tough to know you’re in it. What I mean is when you’re in a season that you know you’ll be referencing for the rest of your life, it’s easy to get sidetracked and sleepwalk through the motions. Our attention can be divided between a million areas while missing the moments looking us straight in the eyes.

Sometimes, we need to step back, take it all in, and rest in the beauty of the moment, understanding what a privilege it is to know love like this.

I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. I have high hopes that my pups will be the first pups to live to fifty while still being completely healthy. My fingers are crossed that my girls will want to play basketball as a family in our backyard for as long as I live.

While both of those scenarios are unlikely, I can find peace in the present, knowing I am somewhere in the middle of my golden days, creating a beautiful story that will live with me forever.