Trusting the Pause

It’s been bitterly cold outside.Not the kind of winter chill we’re used to, but the kind that bites the air and turns a simple walk into a challenge.

My three pups sit by the window, watching the world go by. They have a yard to run in, toys to chase, warm beds to curl into... but what they truly love are our walks. The long ones. The adventurous ones. The kind where noses lead the way and tails never stop wagging.

Lately, though, it’s just too cold.No sweater or tiny pair of boots can fully protect them from air that harsh. So we stay in.

And every time they look at me with those hopeful eyes, I feel that little tug in my heart. They don’t understand why we’re not out there exploring. All they know is that something they love is being withheld. But what they can’t see is that this pause is protection.

It made me think about how often life does the same to us.

There are moments we beg for a door to open. We feel ready, excited, certain. And when it doesn’t happen, disappointment settles in. Sometimes even sadness. We wonder why, we question the timing, we ache for what could have been.

But maybe, just maybe, we’re being kept safe from a storm we cannot yet see.

Just like my pups trust me to keep them out of harm’s way, perhaps there are times the universe gently keeps us indoors, away from paths that would wound us in ways we never anticipated.

Looking back, I can see moments in my own life where what felt like rejection was actually redirection. Where what felt like loss was quiet protection.

My dogs may never understand why some days we trade trails for living room playtime and neighborhood walks for laps around the pet store aisles. But they know they are loved. And sometimes, love looks like a closed door and warm blankets instead of open fields and wild wind.

Winter won’t last forever.Spring will return with its colors and long, golden walks. Until then, we adapt.We find new ways to play. We trust the pause. 🌻