Namaste

As a kid I remember reading an article in National Geographic that described a Tibetan monk who had trained his body and mind to withstand the cold to the point where he could sit in subzero temperatures and make water poured on him simply steam off as he meditates himself into sweating as if hoeing beans in a South Dakota river bottom on a July day. As a child of northern winters I imagined this would be a pretty amazing skill to have but doubted I would ever possess the mental rigor to make it happen.

And then I had the bright idea to get a new puppy in the middle of one of the coldest Februarys on meteorological record.

The fortitude and focus that it takes to stand outside in pajamas at 10pm in subzero cold while uttering “Go potty. C’mon let’s go potty” in the singsong pitter patter required to encourage wee puppies to keep their attention on the job at hand because your other dogs found a dead bird in the pasture and thought it would be a great idea to dissect it and leave bits of gore all around the front door requires a monk-like dedication to purpose.

It’s amazing how the same cold that seemed to cut through your thick winter coat and into your very soul to rip out all inner warmth and joy only a few weeks ago can now be withstood without even a shiver while wearing nothing more than the shortsleeved “Fa-La-Llama” pajamas you got for Christmas. It seems you cannot help but find your Arctic zen while using your bedroom slippered feet to nudge avian entrails into the deeper snow while at the same time making your voice sing as sweetly as a Sunday School mistress with chords of “Oh whatta good boy, you did it!”

It’s a damn good thing he is so cute because by the end of winter, I’m going to be on my way to being the Dalai Lama of Arendelle.

Namaste and stay warm my friends.