Our Dogs will get us through the Holidays

Christmas Berner!

Our dogs will get us through the next month of holidays if we pay attention.

Some context.

It was Christmas, 1968. We were snowed in in our home in Minnesota. My dad was trapped out of town because of the storm, my mom was home with six stir-crazy kids, two of them sick with the flu (with six kids, someone was always sick and infecting the next in line), and two half-wild German Shepherds. I was seventeen, a high school senior, and had just received a letter ordering me to report for my draft physical.

My mom's response to all this was, "Things are going to hell in a handbasket!" She was full of third-generation Irish-Catholic witticisms.

That saying is bouncing around in my mind as we approach another holiday season: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yuletide (the pagan celebration of the winter solstice), and, of course, the new year. (bets on what 2026 could be like?)

We have the chaos of the political world, and our Hispanic friends and neighbors are anxious about being in public because of ICE. We are urged to do our patriotic duty and shop! It's a demand that started before Halloween.

The tension most of us feel now is knowing this time is not about politics or capitalism; it is about ritual, rebirth, and renewal.

As humans, be they religious or secular, we need ritual. Rituals, whether a Christmas Mass, lighting the Menorah, or that special meal with family, are our "pattern breaks." A chance to break with the mundane and connect with something larger than ourselves and muffle the incessant whine of "me, me, me!" Rebirth and renewal are about taking those moments to refocus our lives on what is vital and important.

And this, unsurprisingly, brings us to dogs. In our lives, there are talismans (objects or beings believed to be magical or to point us to a higher purpose). Talismans call us to find what is vital in our lives. We ignore them at our peril.

For me, and I think for most dog guardians, dogs are talismans; they daily point us, if we pay attention, to what is important.

Here is what I mean.

First off, it’s a miracle that we have dogs as companions. (a miracle being a really low probability event). Over twenty thousand years ago, wolves and humans came together. We don't know exactly how or why. The speculation is that some wolves may have trailed hunter-gatherer groups in search of food scraps. Somehow, some way, over succeeding generations, wolves evolved into dogs; dependent on humans, friendly, and part of the group. We became bonded. No other animal is as connected to us as dogs are. (Horses and cats are a distant second)

Today, after twenty thousand years, what do dogs offer, what do they bring to us? It's simple, really, the important stuff! They bring love, connection, loyalty, and curiosity. (And a little creative chaos when they are puppies) Not bad values to live up to: even the creative chaos.

For me, the thing I love most, the ritual that our dogs and I share, that is a daily renewal, is walking. It's just thirty minutes together in the morning on the same road, and it is the best part of our days. Before the walk, I may be aching and echoing my mom's sentiment that "things are going to hell in a handbasket," but fifteen minutes into moving with our guys, and I feel lighter, more optimistic, and ready to take on the day. I highly recommend that when you are depressed, out of sorts, or angry with the world, go for a walk with your dog. You will feel better.

In short, as most dog-centric individuals know, our lives would be impoverished without dogs. They are part of our families, and they help us stay connected to the important stuff. As we enter this time of year when we are making lists, planning family meals, outlawing political discussions, remember to include our dogs, at least figuratively, at the table.

As you take time to reflect on the rituals in your life and what renewal and rebirth mean, remember that there is a dog who wants nothing more than to be by your side, to take the journey into the new year with you. It is their fondest wish.

May you have a wonderous and peaceful holiday and pray for strength in 2026.