Poop Happens

Don't let the title of this post scare you. I promise not to post any pictures of dog poop.


My first thought when Levi pooped under the kitchen table was, "Oh crap!" When you think about it, it was a rather appropriate reaction. My second thought was, "Sure, the kids promised to pick up all the dog poop, so I wouldn't have to. And Levi decides to poop in the house when they are at school." (Luckily, Eric was home, so he got the honor.) My third thought may have been the scariest: "That is a big poop from such a little puppy. What's it going to be like when he is a full grown dog?"

Poop happens: Literally and figuratively.

I remember taking a "Caring For Your Newborn" class when I was pregnant with Danielle. Eric and I, along with several other parents-to-be, watched and listened as the instructor showed us how to swaddle a baby, bathe a baby, etc. I distinctly remember her asking who in the class had never changed a diaper. What? There were actually people in the class who had never changed a diaper? Then I noticed Eric was one of the people who had raised their hand in response to the question. Seriously? How did I not know this before? He babysat his nephew and niece when they were little. I sure hope he didn't get paid for babysitting. Eric's lack of experience in diaper changing became obvious soon after Danielle was born. He changed her diaper just before we left the hospital to bring her home. Shortly after arriving home, she needed another diaper change. Eric learned rather quickly that a diaper needs to be put on snugly in order to do it's job correctly. Let's just say that Danielle needed a complete change of outfit and a bath!

The good news is that potty training Levi was quicker than potty training any of our kids. The bad news is that a potty trained dog does not use the bathroom and flush when he's done!



One of the main reasons I never wanted a dog was the whole poop issue. You may remember that the kids promised to pick up ALL the poop so that I would never have to. For the record, I never believed it. In their defense, they do pick it up if they are out with Levi when it happens. But I am a bit obsessed with making sure it is cleaned up immediately. And since I am with Levi more than anyone else, it makes sense that I clean up most of it. And the crazy part is that it doesn't even phase me any more. Poop happens....you pick it up and get on with your day.


The problem is that the figurative poop that we all encounter can't easily be put in a poop bag and thrown in the trash. We all have crap happen in our lives: hurt, disappointment, heartbreak, illness, loss, etc. Sometimes it seems to keep coming at us, until we are sitting alone in the backyard with piles of crap all around us. From where we sit, we see neighbors, acquaintances and friends walking by. Several begin to raise their arms as if to wave, then apparently noticing the piles surrounding us, drop their arms, look away and pick up their pace. When did everyone we know become runners?



Then along comes a friend, perhaps named Levi, who despite the piles of crap surrounding us, just sees his friend sitting alone. He approaches, never flinching at the smell, and lies down at our feet to listen. He listens with his heart, hearing the unspoken words in the tears falling onto his fur. When our eyes finally dry, we notice that the piles of crap, while not completely gone, are considerably smaller.

~Gracious Lord, May we all have a friend like Levi and be a friend like Levi. Amen