A Quarter Ton of Canned Love

City Hall Holiday Open House
Thanks to all of you who visited the Third Floor of City Hall for our Holiday Open House this past Wednesday. For those that attended, thank you for making the party a success, we believe it was the best attended yet. For those that couldn’t make it, sorry we missed you but we would love to see you next year. A special thanks to the City Hall staff that planned, shopped, cooked, set up and cleaned up from this party.

A great big thanks to all of you who brought food for the Tempe Community Action Agency food pantry. We collected nearly a quarter ton of food that is distributed by TCAA at our Escalante Community Center. It is always a surprise when we discover that there are people in Tempe that don’t know that the food pantry exists or that TCAA delivers the services from Escalante. Special thanks to Wendy Springborn who must have contributed about half the food herself judging from the number of times her name was drawn for prizes (she gave most of those away too.)

I’ve been saving this one for the week of Christmas. Jeff Stocker from Water Utilities shared this story which is a little sad but is mostly a soft reminder of what is really important in life. The holiday season is a time when we take time to “love generously, live simply, care deeply and experience the wind in your face.” I wish you all the most peaceful and happy of holidays.

A Dog's Purpose, from a 6-year-old
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa and their little boy Shane were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience. The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.' Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'

From a dog's perspective:
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

Peace and Love for the Holidays,

Charlie Meyer