1.20.21 // scout, the great teacher

Scout.
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You've been one of the great teachers of my life.
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You've been one of the great teachers of my life because you've taught me how to love, how to love endlessly.
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You've shown me how it pays to trust without stipulations.
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You've shown me how to lend your heart to someone whose tears are falling heavy. How in those moments that person doesn't need suggestions or solutions, just someone to listen and care.
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You've shown me how to have a love for myself in moments where the darkness is seconds away from engulfing me. How to rescue myself from the moments when the ominous wave starts to rip me away from the shore.
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You've shown me patience and how to enjoy the slow moments. How hot afternoons are for laying in the grass and looking at the clouds. How long car rides aren't the same if you don't have the windows down, no matter the temperature.
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I'm still learning from you Scout, and I imagine I will be even as the steps on our walks slow and the length of our naps extend.
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5 years ago when I was trying to decide if I should get a dog, I didn't realize I'd be stumbling into a classroom with a teacher with four legs and golden fur.