I shifted under the covers.
As I turned, Cooper turned with me. He shifted a tiny bit more and placed his chin on my ankle.
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I set down my book (Maybe You Should Talk to Someone… so, so good!) and listened to his breath.
The weight of his head resting on my foot, the warmth of his furry body pressed against my legs, the sound of his snores… peace.
Pure happiness.
This is my nightly routine: We finish dinner–we eat together every night–then I finish cleaning the kitchen while John takes Violet up for her bath and bedtime. I scoop the litter boxes and change into my jammies. I pour myself a glass of wine or a mug of tea (let’s be honest… usually wine) and climb into bed with my book and my Cooper. I’m in my jammies and in bed almost every single night by 7:30 or 8.
This is my self care. A glass of wine, a book, and my dog–oh, and an early bedtime–keep me sane.
It’s so small. Each one of those things is so little but bring me so much joy in my chaotic, stretched-too-thin, day-to-day.
It’s quiet. It’s calm. It’s peaceful.
Add to this mix Ripley. She often climbs onto my lap after Coop and I are fully settled in. She waits until he’s in position so that he doesn’t accidentally jut his legs into her side. Once she’s sure we’re both in place, she curls up and dozes off.
Ripley squeaks in her sleep. Those squeaks bring me even greater joy. They’re just so darn sweet and tiny, and I know she’s content.
Her tiny frame–a whopping eight pounds–settles into my lap and manages to feel like a hot lead weight as soon as she falls asleep.
Sometimes Newt piles on. She prefers to watch TV with John, though; he’s her person. She always chooses him when he’s around. I think she joins me, Coop, and Rip when she’s extra cold or when she’s ready to go to sleep for the night. I pretend she’s coming in because she wants to cuddle with me, but… 🙂
Lately I’ve noticed this push for all sorts of “self care” products. It’s a cottage industry that sprouted up, I believe, in response to the massive amount of stress we’re all under.
A mani/pedi, face mask, TV binge, shopping spree, whatever… might help decrease your stress in the moment. If that’s your thing, that’s awesome. As long as it feeds your heart and soul instead of depleting you (or your bank account), great.
I do other things, of course, like take my vitamins, drink lots of water, exercise a bit, get outside, but this nightly routine–my Coop, my cats, my book, and an early bedtime–tends my heart and soul. It’s small, but it’s my self care.
Thank goodness for pets.
How do you take care of yourself?
Do your pets factor into your self-care routine? I’d love to learn how you keep your sanity in the comments below!
BTW, if you’re a reader like me, let’s connect on Goodreads!
If you’re not using that platform, I’d LOVE to know what books you’ve loved this year in the comments below. My top three from this year, which I highly recommend, are Deep Creek (my favorite book all year), Calypso on audiobook because it’s read by the author and makes all the difference in the world (free with an Audible trial), and The Friend (a dog book, kinda, but not what you expect).
I love the sound of Ray snoring or his weight pressed against my side with Julius’s counter weight pressing against the other side. I have come to loathe the term “self-care” as it is already so over used. I do, however, spend some specific sofa time with my dogs. Either in the morning before work or on a lazy weekend morning we sit on the sofa and one of us drinks coffee while the other two just hang out with me and often have their pictures taken of them doing nothing.
I totally agree about the term. I feel like it’s another thing that’s become overly commercialized, which is SUPER unfortunate because we all need to take better care of ourselves!!
I really love your lazy morning description. It sounds so very peaceful!
Hi Maggie! Long time no connect. My favorite self care is taking the pups out in the yard on a nice day to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. Sometimes I bring both pups; other times I leave Radar inside to bond with Sam while Ducky gets her “Just Mom and Me” time. Having just added Radar to the family a few weeks ago, I’ve been quite busy getting him acclimated to our routine, watching him and Ducky get acquainted, etc., so haven’t had much time to read. But I enjoy history, biography, and just about anything dog related. I also love watching the episodes of “Dark Shadows” at night, in bed. My Mom and I used to watch it together every day when I got home from school. So watching it now brings back many fond memories.
Thank you for sharing that memory! It sounds like a pretty peaceful bedtime routine, too!
It has been a long time since we connected… I’m behind on blogs and social media, which always adds to my stress. I think, actually, that’s one of the big things that prompted this post. I have such deep gratitude for these animals for bringing me back to earth when things are HECTIC like they are now. I can’t wait to carve out some time to catch up on your posts!
What precious dogs and fabulous photos. We are involved with the Cat Blogosphere this time each year during our annual Blog4Peace event. Cat bloggers are incredible! And they post the most beautiful faces on the peace globes they submit. There are hundreds of kitties participating from all over the world.
We would love for more of the Dog Blogosphere to get in on the act of blogging for peace. It’s an annual event on November 4th.
If you are interested in participating, please send me a message or visit blog4peace.com. Please join us!
Peace to you and yours,
Mimi Lenox
Founder, Blog4Peace
I’ve had a year of caring for multiple family members who have been seriously ill. My self care is like you, the dog, a book, and the bed. Sometimes I say NO to invites from friends and family alike just to stay home, catch up on house work, and relax with “Noel”, my 7.5 year old pit bull. I was giving dog massages before I know they were a thing! So relaxing for us both!!!!!
I LOVE this! I can picture the scene you painted and it is perfect. When I’ve been especially busy sometimes I just sit on the couch with Luke and relax. Sometimes I read, catch up on emails, or just flip through a catalog. It’s especially nice this time of year with the wood stove going. Luke loves it too, as I’m sure your animals do; just being in our company. Our pets really know how to relax and we’re wise to learn from them!
There is nothing more relaxing than a sleeping pet. I love coming home after a stressful day and seeing my dog curled up in front of a fire, that’s the best therapy.