Beautiful Scars

            I have several scars; from an adventurous life, from surgeries, from poor decisions - my scars are part of me and tell part of my story. That story helps me carry my past with me, and shows what I have come through.

            My dog Watson has some scars, too. Most of them cannot be seen - there's a lot of fur covering external scars, but the main scarring has happened to him internally. His one ear cannot stand up, and X-rays showed a previous broken leg. Watson came to me from the humane society, where I learned that his first home was not a good home. There was neglect and abuse, which left him scarred physically and emotionally. I was told he was confrontational and aloof.

            And he was. But that was then.

            Watson, after choosing me over 2 years ago, has learned that what happened in the past is not what happens now. And so, even though the scars remain, they do not reflect his present, his now. Instead of being fixated on the possibility of being hurt, he now starts every day with the expectation of being loved. He's safe now, and he lives that reality. And it's beautiful.

            True, his past was bad, but his present is not. He has a home, he has friends, he has love. And so he offers love in return. It took time to get where we are, but it has been a beautiful journey. He has let go of the fear and anger and bitterness, he does not focus on what *could* go wrong but on what is positive. He shows his true character (he's a big goofball who loves squeeky toys and tummy rubs and peanut butter and playing with my other dog), he's a big heart with lots of fur. He just needed a place to love and be loved.

He has forgiven, and lives fully in the present. His willingness to overcome the pain of the past makes him beautiful.

            Would that we could all move beyond our hurts to re-form how we engage with the world. Would that we all might be so willing to carry our scars - a sign of healing and health - with us in our relationships today.