Pluto Saved the Day

I was having a...day. You know the kind—the type where you work really hard to remain positive and optimistic, but you come to the point where you run out of energy to keep the the party going. You try desperately to buoy the balloon with air but finally it pops, without warning, and there isn’t a darn thing you can do about it.

Where I live in Canada—Ontario specifically—our premiere announced in the morning that our province was in a state of emergency due to COVID-19, and by the time I went to buy some much-needed toilet paper in the afternoon, I was met with a never-ending empty shelf in the grocery store. In an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, schools had been suspended, greatly affecting my business. In less than twenty-four hours, it felt the apocalypse was arriving in full measure. And I would have to face these challenges sans toilet paper.

I went home and was annoyed by everything and anything for no reason—and every reason—all at once. Life felt upside down and confusing. I couldn’t seem to will my way back to my usual cheery outlook.

And then my dear friend Karen sent me a link to this video:

If I had false teeth, I think I would have spat them out. I couldn’t help myself. It was exactly what I needed. My heart melted, my blood pressure lowered, and I laughed. My emotional dam cracked open, and as I laughed, I also cried. I cried for the state of the world; I cried for those suffering…or worse; I cried for the lonely and the emotionally isolated; I even cried for the empty shelf of toilet paper. But Pluto was spot on. He made me laugh. Until that moment, I did not know how deeply one could cry AND laugh simultaneously.

This was my first introduction to Pluto, so I cyber stocked this talking pooch and found out that he had his own Facebook account, Pluto Living.

I was thrilled that, although he was of German descent, his humans were fellow Canadians. I started watching other videos, and I felt my internal packaging of worry and angst unfold and spread, breathing, leaving some space in my cramped, dark psyche for something lighter, brighter…more peaceful. After all, who could possibly resist a talking dog who uses the word bullshit correctly in a sentence?

I clicked on his "About" tab to learn how this 4-legged was trying to navigate the waters of a 2-legged world.

I am a 4-legged living in a 2-legged world. Advice and insights on how to live better. My dog people were great ratters in Germany but my humans are Canadian.

- Pluto Living Facebook Page

Pets—they truly know how to live in the moment. They savor the now and are experts on how to curl up, wander around a little and play with a tennis ball. Emotionally, they pick us up, ground us, pull us into the only moment we truly have—the present one.

I decided to go and soak in the calming effect of my own fur babies for a while, two cats named Lambe and Jack. Despite Pluto’s declaration that cats don’t matter, my cats matter to me (Sorry, Pluto). I love their rhythms, their knowing, and their presence is a present, wrapped in comfort and calm. Both cats lazed around the house today, doing what cats do best—enjoy a sunlit corner of the room, eat some kibble, relish in a solid nap, hide under the bed, chase each other up the stairs and find a box or a laundry basket or a cupboard to jump into.

...their presence is a present, wrapped in comfort and calm.

I took some pictures and texted them to my friends.

They responded with pictures of their own pets. I smiled. Not a forced, pretend smile, but a genuine reaction of joy. I couldn’t help it.

I was joyful for everything and anything. I was happy for no reason—and every reason—all at once. It no longer mattered that the world was facing a crazy virus or that I may never enjoy the comforts of toilet paper for a long time. In an instant, everything turned around.

Thank you, Pluto...and every other furry friend who makes this world a better place.