These past few years, my weekends have always been pretty much the same: I'm busy at home, I walk the dog, we have coffee together, and we chat... Sunday is usually a way to slowly wind down the weekend, because after Sunday inevitably comes Monday. And that's how it's been every week, especially in recent years. Every now and then, there's a Sunday that's a little different, and today was one of those Sundays that was a little different than usual.
After painting the inside of our upcoming photo booth white again this morning, I jumped in the shower and dug out my formal clothes. Today I had a birthday party to attend. And not just any birthday, but my sister's birthday. It wasn't a big party, but a cozy get-together with people she cares about. And precisely because it wasn't a big party, but just a nice, relaxed get-together, made it was so enjoyable for me. Because of my sensitivity to stimuli, I'm not so keen on big, crowded parties anymore, but like today, I appreciate that even more. And I don't get to experience that very often anymore. Maybe that's why I could enjoy it even more now. After all, a break from the daily routine is never bad, right?
And of course, there was Rocky. I picked him up as a little puppy with my sister's partner a little over a year ago. In the meantime, I've watched the little one grow up happily, and today it was time to cuddle and play with him again. Friendly and cheerful as he is, he immediately jumped on the couch next to me. He wagged his tail and looked at me with that typical doggy look. In those moments, I melt. It's that mix of curiosity and unconditional joy. Of course, I enjoyed seeing my sister and her partner, and their friends, and I certainly had a good time, but I'd be lying if I said Rocky didn't make it extra special for me. The fact is, give me a dog to cuddle with, and regardless of whether I know the dog or not... I'm guaranteed that such a dog will completely captivate me. Don't tell anyone, but I also treated Rocky to a cream puff. He deserved it!
Around 15:30, I got back in the car; after all, another dog was waiting for me at home to be walked. And that big sweetheart was also very happy when I got home. During our walk together, the first small raindrops fell. And although I wasn't happy with the timing of that shower, I was secretly glad that some water was finally coming down. Because it's dry in our region! Very dry. So the rain that gently dripped down during my walk with Skipper was very welcome. And secretly, I thought it would be nice if there was a bit more, but preferably after we got home. And as if I had magical powers, that's exactly what happened. When we got home, a heavy downpour came down. The first significant rain since about August 10th. Hopefully, nature will benefit from it, but that's still doubtful. Because the ground is now so dry that most of the rain will wash away immediately, straight into the sewer. The ground is bone dry, and all the grass is yellow. The trees have already dropped almost all their leaves due to heat stress to prevent evaporation. So you could say that every drop counts.
It's dry again now, but if all goes well, some more rain will fall later this evening and tonight. For nature's sake, I hope there will be more rain. Preferably at times when I'm not going for a walk with Skipper, or have to go for a walk...
And so a Sunday that started perfectly normal turned out to be a little different from other Sundays. Just a small difference, and it's precisely those small differences that make a day so different from other Sundays. It wasn't even a big one, but it was a very nice Sunday nonetheless. And so it proved again: it's not the big moments that make a day special, but rather those small shifts. A little cuddling with a small doggie, some long-awaited rain, just some sort of a routine-let-go. Sometimes a Sunday doesn't need more than that. This weekend has flown by, let's hope next weekend will be here soon again!
