By guest contributor: Charlie Brown Rohan

I like telling people about the new title I gained recently: I’m an uncle. Excuse my biased opinion, but I do believe she’s the most beautiful baby girl ever and my family is so excited over her arrival. After the birth, my Mom and Dad were pretty anxious to meet their first granddaughter. To do so they had to fly to Doha, Qatar where she lives. They invited me to join them but I was short on the cash for the airfare. I booked a stay at Rover-Time instead; figuring a visit to Chicago was overdue. I arrived January 10th and have enjoyed being Julia’s second shadow ever since. 

It’s normal for me to spend my early mornings sipping a nice bowl of water, working on a good toy here and there. I manage to get in spurts of fetch with Mark before he scoots off for the day. Julia makes a fantastic, yet familiar breakfast for me each morning. I take in the fresh air, exploring the yard. The neighbors captivate me. I make sure to tell Julia & Mark whenever I see one. I’ve also observed a much wider variety of dogs in the city, which is broadening my perspective and enriching my character.

I’m enjoying the leisurely pace of my vacation at Rover-Time. It’s lent itself to some time for me to think about becoming an adult Cockapoo. Here are four life lessons to consider:

1. When your friend asks for your attention, always grant it. Give them your full attention, and instead of being annoyed at the interruption, be grateful for the reminder to spend time with someone you love. I love Julia.
2. I’m not cool, and I’m cool with that. I wasted a lot of energy when I was younger worrying about being cool. It’s way more fun to forget about that, and just be yourself.
3. Rest is more important than you think.
4. There are few joys that equal a good walk, a good hug, or a good companion. It’s also nice to make someone you love laugh. Julia laughs at me all the time.

What life lessons do you value?