You're never too busy...

If there is one thing I know about, it's the woeful feeling of dealing with distance. For as long as I can remember, distance has been a part of my life. Dad traveled every week growing up, I went to the greatest school on earth -IU- which was three hours from my hometown, I moved to Europe for awhile, and then finally settled in Arizona - roughly 2,000 miles away from my solid midwestern roots. While I can't deny that all of these experiences have been rewarding, incredible, and have shaped who I am as a person, being away from important people and significant places can and has really put a damper on things at times. How does Alfredo fit into all of this? He's serving as a metaphor in this blog post. One of my best Alfredo stories involves him and I randomly meeting one of his brothers (yes, from the same litter), at the dog park. Since then, he has been able to enjoy hanging with his brother from time to time. In fact, I recently had the opportunity to babysit him. Here are some highlights..

Playing around in the living room...

 Enjoying "yum yums"...

 Laying down patiently for treats...

Playing some more (with Alfredo's beloved soccer ball)...

 Going "bye byes" in the car...

Passing out from "bye byes" in the car...

Unfortunately, Alfie's brother will be moving to Iowa soon, so I guess it's nice they were able to spend some time together before the big move. I'm not sure Alfredo will ever see his brother again. With that being said, it initiates self-reflection on dealing with distance a bit. My greatest takeaway:  We really need to appreciate the time we spend with others, and even when significant people are far apart, it's so important to put forth the effort in terms of keeping in touch. I really dispise the words, "I've just been so busy," because in reality, we truly never know what will happen in our lives. I find it exciting that we are uncertain where life may lead us and what the future holds, but regardless of where we go, it's so important to maintain the relationships we have so that wherever we end up, our significant loved ones are always with us no matter wherever it is we go. I can't imagine thinking about never seeing some of my favorites again, and it totally bums me out that this may just happen to Alfredo.