Like most everyone, I have to work. I am “lucky” enough to work from home (Yay! No morning rush hour commute! Yay! No dressing up or ironing clothes! Boo, the office is always open and waiting with more to do every time I walk by. Boo, endless piles of yucky tasks that someone else did when I worked for a corporation that now I need to figure out and do).

But I am lucky, amazingly lucky. I have frequent, insisted upon breaks, demanded by my sweet old dog Winnie, whether it is convenient for me to stop what I am doing or not. She just pushes her way into my lap, sheds a few pounds of hair, starts her sweet gentle snoring, and snuggles in—as much as any 60-pound dog can snuggle across your lap!

No worrying on her part if the laptop goes sliding off, or doesn’t quite make it to the side table fast enough; she is here, now, in my lap, releasing that contented sigh of dog breath that actually makes me stop, smile and simply be in the moment enjoying the lapdog time.

I am also lucky in that Winnie most of the time shows me what she wants without being destructive. (I can always tell if I have been super busy and she feels ignored when I find her rooting around a trash can or chasing the cat.)

She grabs a toy, brings it to me, and does a play bow, sweetly asking for a bit of my time and just a tiny little tuggie moment. How can I resist??!!

Well, sometimes I must, but most days I listen to what she patiently explains to me she needs, (humans can be a bit dense) and realize that what she needs I need too, without even knowing it at the time.

So that is how I find myself right now, trying to work but luckily having an elderly dog with demanding snuggle needs. One handed typing is slow and difficult, but having my sweet old girl fall asleep on my lap is more than worth it!