The question people usually ask me when they learn that I work from home (and have for the past 3-4 years) is, “Don’t you get lonely?”
Truthfully? No, I don’t.
And the main reason for this is a four-legged best friend named Harlow. He simply doesn’t allow it. Harlow doesn’t stand for moping, or laziness, or refusing to get up in the morning (even in the winter when it’s dark and freezing and I all want to do is stay in bed.) It goes without saying that Harlow is a definite mood-booster, and because of that, I often think of him as my hero.
I feel so lucky that I get to work from the comfort of my home and spend every single hour with him. From morning until night, usually seven days a week, we are by each other’s side. Occasionally, he encourages me to take more walks than I’d normally go on or take a break from working to play fetch with his ball in the house, but spending that extra time together is always worth it when I see the joy on his face.
In my seven years of spending an abundant amount of time with him, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is so much that humans can learn from our furry besties.
Things such as…
Their gusto for life. The moment I say “up” in the morning Harlow literally jumps out of bed and can’t wait to see what the day has in store for him. He goes from a dead sleep to bouncing off the walls in less than five seconds. His energy is contagious and forces me out of bed, as well.
He lives 100% in the moment; you can see it in his eyes and his ears. He’s always present and enjoying his current situation.
Whether we’re camping in the woods or the mountains or simply playing fetch with his toys in the house, he’s an adventurer and is always anxious to see what’s around the next turn.
Harlow greets everyone he loves with pure excitement and happiness so they know just how thrilled he is to see them. It doesn’t matter if it’s been 10 days or 10 minutes, Harlow will be excited.
Harlow’s empathetic and caring. Harlow knows when I’m sick and will ease off just a little on demanding another walk. He’ll lay his head in my lap and look at me with concerned eyes.
Most of all, Harlow couldn’t care less about technology. He’s more of an adventure seeking kind of guy. He forces me to put my phone down and enjoy the scenery around me, no matter where we are.
It’s for all of these reasons why I don’t get lonely working from home and why Harlow is without a doubt my very best friend.
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This blog post is sponsored by STAINMASTER® PetProtect®.
This post makes me wish I grew up with a pet. I've always admired my friends who had dogs and fostered such close relationships with them. I hope one day in the future, my kids will be able to grow up with a furry friend.
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
This post makes me so happy! I have three Labrador Retrievers. They are all "inside" dogs, and I love them so much. They are always there, and all they want to do is love and be loved….can't ask for more than that! 🙂
All of the above is so true! I see/learn all of that from our dog, Chara, too. I also love the way dogs receive love so easily. They are unashamed by the need/want for it and unapologetically receive it. I can only imagine how well we'd love and receive love if we lived more that way as humans (with in reason and healthy boundaries, obviously. Can't go rolling over for a belly scratch for every person we meet for 5 minutes. 🙂 )
Love this post!!! I am a freelance graphic designer and work from home with Nino my 12 year old yorkie who looks and acts still like a little baby in a great way and relate 100% to this post. Great read.