Everyone You Meet Is Potentially A New Friend



Lauren and the friendly pup

When we went to 'just look' at puppies, our kids sat down on the owners kitchen floor, not far from the whelping box. Puppies were scampering all around. The same friendly little one found his way to each of our three kids, stealing their hearts. He chose them and in turn they chose him. Of course all three kids wanted a puppy, so they were pretty easy to win over. I was the holdout, the one who never wanted a dog and all the work that came with it. So what happened when this little puppy was placed in my arms and he looked up at me? Well, my grinchy heart grew three sizes that day.



 "Please Mom. Can we keep him?"

While the other puppies were cute, the outgoing little runt made our decision of which puppy to choose obvious. Even though he had litter mates to play with, he eagerly greeted three potential new friends. In doing so, he found his forever home.

 

Levi meeting his new friend, Grant

Levi's personality hasn't changed from that first day. He still loves to meet new friends. And to him, everyone he meets, whether human, canine or feline is a potential new friend. I hope he never comes across a skunk, because he'd likely see that as a friend too. If you encounter Levi, you will be greeted with a friendly look and a wagging tail. If you stop to pet him, he will most likely snuggle in closer to you and lie down. If you scratch his tummy, you will be his friend forever.




Levi playing with best friend, Ruby

We could all learn something from Levi's friendliness. While I'm not exactly shy or anti-social, he has forced me to be more outgoing. Like most people, I have an idea in my head of where I fit in and who I fit in with. It's easy to greet those who look the part. But when I encounter someone who doesn't, it is easy to look away, pretend I don't see them or bury my head in my cell phone. Levi doesn't react that way when he meets others who aren't just like him. (And it's not just because he doesn't have a cell phone.) 



It's human nature to notice the clothes others wear, the cars they drive, their weight, skin color, mannerisms, etc. Just observing these things is not wrong. But the next thing we humans do is judge others based on what we see. We "just know" they are materialistic or lazy or full of themselves. And maybe worst of all, we know they are silently judging us as well.

Levi meeting neighbor Jazz
 

Levi doesn't have some silly idea that he fits in some places and not in others. When he sees a person or another dog or cat he doesn't judge them by their color or size. It doesn't occur to him that they might belong to a richer or poorer family than his. Levi doesn't care if you are old or young, tall or short, fat or slim. Your race, political party or sexual preference are of no concern to him. He doesn't compare himself to you or anyone else. He just sees a potential friend. When Levi and I are out walking, we frequently see new people and pets. He always wants to say hello, no matter who they are or what they look like. That kind of forces me to smile and make eye contact with the person. More times than not we exchange pleasantries and wish each other a nice day. And my mood is made brighter because of it. As we continue on our way, I smile and am thankful for this dog walking next to me. He is helping me to see others through his eyes. And I find myself anticipating the next new friend that we will meet.