Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks

While sure, there are many times where being in the presence of children can be downright exhausting – there’s also many a time when a child brings out something fresh, something new, something lost in a person. They can be rejuvenating. Whether it’s their laughter, their imagination or just their energy and innocence, it makes many of us feel young again.

I was lucky enough to see men in their 90s (our late neighbor, my wife’s late grandfather) light up like someone flipped a switch when our little guy would visit them. It’s truly extraordinary to see just how much life a child can bring to others simply by being there and being them.

And I think the same goes for animals too.

One of my parents’ dogs has been with the family since I was about 18 or 19. So that puts him at roughly 15 or 16 years old at this point. And there have been times, unfortunately, where he shows it, more old man than the spry young puppy that once fit in our hands.

But then, as our little guy turned from baby to toddler, running around the house, playing games, chatting up a storm, something happened in that old dog. His tail would wag, his feet would start bounding (albeit a little slower than they once did) and suddenly, he had the energy of a puppy again, running around my parents’ house with our little guy, chasing him, giving him kisses, and having energy.

You want the fountain of youth? Hang around little kids. They’ll make anyone feel young again.