Perhaps the dog wants to meditate too. More likely, he wants me to get up and walk him around the block. I have tried so hard to incorporate ten minutes of sitting into my mornings. Many days I skip it, and today the dog visited. I heard him walk in, tags jangling. Dog face in my face. Deep dog breaths. And then he sat down, nearly on top of me, all 70 pounds of big black lab.

It is hard to quiet my busy mind. So many people need me, it can be hard to step out of the whirl. I could have gotten up and sent him away. Instead, I placed a hand on his back and tried to ignore his licks. Eventually I settled and he settled, and we sat there together for another five minutes.

These days are busy and brief. Ten minutes alone can make a big difference in my state of mind. I will try to keep at it.