Advent Beauty 09 - Scout

So, two years ago, our family grew by another mouth, four legs, a big tail, and two incredibly soft floppy ears. Two years ago today, my wife and I came home from a rescue shelter with our then-little Bluetick Coonhound / Beagle mix. We gave her the name Scout as we were driving back home to introduce her to our kids - the inspiration came from the main character in To Kill a Mockingbird.

I had seen bumper stickers and car magnets that referred to dog adoptions that said, "Who rescued who?" And I really resonate with that, now two years after we adopted Scout. There have been some challenges that have come into our lives (understatement) over the last few years but we have had the joy and blessing of our floppy-eared-friend who continues to love to cuddle up with us and shows us the unconditional love that dogs share.

So the beauty for me today is reflecting on that which Scout does and offers day in and day out. Her curiosity never stops - there's something new to investigate whether we had walked that same path every day for a week. She is always excited when one of us comes home - whether we've been gone all day or whether we've only been gone for 20 minutes. She isn't reluctant with affection - always willing to curl up next to us no matter what is happening. She also shares her needs - if she needs her back scratched, needs to go out, is hungry, wants to play - we know it. She is content with what she has - she doesn't have a lot of toys (mostly because she destroys most toys) but she has a certain kind of rawhide bone that she adores. She is a protector - while at times we'd rather her not bark at every knock at the door, we know she is always looking out for us. She makes us laugh - pretty much every day there is something she does that makes all of us laugh - she brings joy.

So, today, I am grateful for the beauty that is Scout and all the joy and beauty she has brought to our family.