Lesson #135 - Dogs Are Extremely Loyal

There is a date - I'm sure you all know it - coming up. A very important date. I don't think there is any person in the world who doesn't know what happened 10 years ago on September 11, 2001. Being that I was EXTREMELY close to the location of where a plane crashed, my memories of that day are burned into my mind.

The past few weeks there have been quite a few specials commemorating the heroes of 9/11 and those who were lucky enough to survive. One such story stuck with me and, honestly, I really can't believe that this gentleman was able to make it out of the South Tower alive.

His rendition of the day is much more emotional, but I am going to try my best to express just how amazing his escape really was:

As a blind man, working on the 71st floor, he had a seeing eye dog with him at all times. The day of the attack, he felt the impact but was unsure of what was going on. His dog ran away from his desk - trying to figure out what was going on. A few minutes later and the dog had returned, sat right at his side against his leg, and was "crying" to alert him that something was wrong. So on went the harness and his dog pulled him to the stairwell.

Crowded full of people, he made his way down each stair with his loyal companion at his side. As they went down each floor, it got increasingly difficult since with each set of stairs came an influx of people making their way out of each floor. Once the firefighters began making their ways up the stairs, it became extremely difficult to move - the stairwell was only big enough for one row of people moving up and another row of people going down. He and his dog required space for two people - even three - in order for them to move together.

A difficult decision had to be made - so he bent over and took the leash off of the harness which allowed his faithful friend to make it down the stairs unattached and free. His dog - what looked to be a lab/retriever - made it down only 1/2 flight of stairs before realizing that his master was no longer by his side. The dog stopped in his tracks, turned around and made his way back UP the stairs to be by his master's side.

The story in itself was amazing to hear - but the fact that both he and his dog made it out alive was just a miracle. Unfortunately, due to smoke/debris inhalation, the dog had to be put to sleep - but the man in the documentary will definitely never forget his faithful friend - who was loyal to the end.

Have you ever had a pet that was more like a family member than a pet?

Lesson #8 - Sometimes You Just Need To Laugh

If you know me, then you know that I didn't just become this fabulous overnight. Oh no, it was a long process that was made INFINITELY better thanks to those I have been blessed to call my friends. I know that the term is used loosely for some, but my true friends are those who have been with me through any/everything. No, we haven't known each other since the womb and I rather like it that way. We are a mix-up of quirky personalities and OCD compulsions. I would not be who I am today without my truest of friends - who, over time, became my family. For "Lesson #8" I thought it was appropriate to "pass the torch," if you will, to one of the most important ladies in my life. She has gotten me through a lot - and has done most of it with a smile. She is one of the few people able to make me pee-my-pants-with-laughter even when I'm in the crankiest of moods...one of my best friends...The Brunette:

We all come from a different past, a different life with different experiences… Although in the case of Working Mommy and myself a lot are shared. We are all in different places in our lives… Working Mommy is a mother and a wife, of which I am neither. Our bonds don’t come from being in the same places in life or sharing views… Boy do we differ in a lot of ways. They forged from something deeper and more powerful than anything else… Laughter. And from that first laugh they’ve grown so much. But that all-important foundation is always there and always valued.

Every girl, young or old, naughty or nice, blonde or brunette, deserves that one friend… The person who can make you laugh no matter what. And if you’re really lucky, like I am, you might even have a few… One of whom this blog belongs to and who graciously allowed me to impart some wisdom as a guest blogger.

Now, I’m not talking about a giggle or a chuckle… I’m talking milk-spraying-out-of-your-nose, choke-on-your-own-spit, almost-swallow-your-tongue kind of laughter. You can only really let yourself completely be in the moment like that with special people. It’s a combination of silliness and being comfortable with each other when you really let yourself laugh. Trust is a key component in this kind of laughter. The trust you feel when you can really let yourself go and laugh like that with someone is the same trust you feel when you can cry with someone or be vulnerable with someone. It’s a two-way street that is only shared by the truest of friends. Clearly, we all know that sometimes dignity can go out the window when someone needs a laugh.

Sometimes is a simple as a hilarious birthday card that perfectly reflects the birthday girl, or making up a silly hand shake that eventually takes on a life of its own and takes 15 steps and makes you look incredibly foolish, or drinking rum out of Twizzler straws, or trying to light a Halloween costume on fire, or breaking out into spontaneous song and dance, or having silly catch phrases that are inside jokes that you never ever forget, or just sitting around the dinner table reminiscing. The lesson here is NOT to try and light things on fire for a laugh… It’s that it doesn’t take a special situation to have laughter… But it does require special people.

As you can tell from the glimpse you’ve had into Working Mommy's life… Life is ever-changing and sometimes it happens in the blink of an eye. But there are always constants in your life… And laughter should definitely be one of them. Life’s not always fun and games but it’s certainly nice to know that even when life is tough… A good laugh is just a phone call away. And a good laugh with a special friend is a great reminder that everything is going to be okay.

There’s a very place in my heart that holds all those hilarious memories if I ever need them to get me through because SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED TO LAUGH.

Hopefully I'll be making more appearances. Until then... XOXO

-The Brunette

P.S. I should clarify one thing… It wasn’t milk that came out of my nose… It was tea...and sprinkles - don't ask. And the swallow your tongue snorting laugh happens often. Get Working Mommy and me together and there’s bound to be tea or milk or snot flying everywhere ;-)

Note: The addition of guest bloggers (probably one a month) has made me re-evaluate the name of my blog and decide to change the name to simply, "Lessons Learned."