Supposed To

My sweet, good dog is supposed to be my easy, breezy Mabel girl. As Gavin’s health continued declining and I constantly had to find creative ways to get my non-food motivated sweetest boy to eat all his pills easily, his nickname became a high-maintenance money pit (lovingly, of course). So, I thought, if I put effortless vibes out to the universe with my girl, maybe that’s what we’d get back. Well, nine days into Mabel’s Giardia quarantine, she came down with yet another eye and respiratory infection. Then, on day ten, an ear infection popped up.

And our plan at the shop has been to train Cammie on my morning responsibilities so I can entirely focus on the business by the end of October and be available to resolve issues while my team rocked out pouches.

Well, when your dog is launching snot rockets and poop soup, it’s wise not to be handling food (even being the meticulous hand washer I am). So this week, Cammie’s morning training went into high gear. And as I suspected, she did amazing. However, with Jordan out getting married (yay) and our philosophy “get it right first, then improve efficiency,” we didn’t produce nearly as much as we were supposed to. We also lost about 80 Beef & Liverwurst pouches due to another equipment blip.

We take product loss differently than in our early days. We’re not supposed to throw away treats we made, but safety is always our priority. So, as we collectively made the call to toss out pouches, I had a moment where I thought, “Man, this is the boss I’m supposed to be.” It’s a new place for me to navigate, not being in the thick of the day-to-day operations. And, honestly, yesterday, as I spent yet another fruitless few hours trying to figure out my G4 Analytics set-up, I would have happily been with my team if Mabel wasn’t napping next to me. But that’s not how I’ll grow this business.

Our lives may not look how we thought they should, but what can we celebrate? Mabel’s now Giardia-free and we’ve had gorgeous weather, so she and I’ve been loving long walks together at our favorite park. Of course, now that Mabel’s feeling braver, she’s pulling on her leash. So, I’m practicing gratitude for one less ailment in my girl and praising and treating her for loose-leash walking.

Our dog’s health or behavior may not be as tip-top as we’d like, but what can we appreciate? On our way home from Mabel’s second veterinary appointment this week, I felt her trust in me, and her confidence allowed us to try the park closer to our apartment again. And, thankfully, I was right. We had a wonderful ten-minute stroll at Scioto Audobon Park (one of Gavin’s faves). So, I’m super hopeful that one day, I won’t have to drive 15 minutes each way to walk my supposed-to-be easy, breezy girl.

So, today, may we all embrace what is rather than what we think life is supposed to be, and maybe we find more joy along the way.