The top 5 distractions in my life

Maybe I should start by saying, I typed the title to this piece 3 days ago. This is the first time I am even coming back to it.

 

So lets say, it’s a given. I am easily distracted. Firstly, I think that if I had to be tested, I would be highly ADD. In my days, you were just naughty. But having a son who is extremely ADHD, and has been since he was 2, and walked the entire path with him, I know what this means. I know what this involves and what to look for. And yes, Hayley most definitely has ADD.

 

So what distracts me? I think the answer is, everything. Running a business, and being a grown human in 2021, in the middle on a pandemic, especially in South Africa, there are distractions around every corner.

 

1)      My phone – oh look a whatsapp! Oh its on the group. Who is this person that responded? Let me see their profile picture? Oh I have been there, I am sure that’s in Durban? Wow I wonder what flights to Durban cost these days? Flights – are they even operating? What happened with SAA? Let me do some research? Annnnddd before you know it, half an hour has passed by

2)      Social media – in any form. Oh look an email advising that somebody liked my post? I wonder what post that was? Let me check? Oh thattttt post. It was funny hey. Oh Sandra shared it. I wonder what happened with Sandras boyfriend I know that they were fighting – let me check her relationship status. Oh wowwwwww it says single. I wonder what Johns says? Oh my word. Still says relationship, I wonder if anybody else has seen this. Mari, have you seeeeeennnn Sandras relationship status on FB? And another half an hour of rabbit holes.

3)      My pets. I wake up in the morning with every intention of exercising, putting a perfect makeup face on, doing some meditation, anddddddddd BAM! One of my pets will come up to me for a love. And I will end up on the floor with a lap full of doggies, and then decide to brush them, or take some cute photos of them, and thirty minutes later they have enacted a whole play complete with outfits and props

4)      Reading. When I was a little girl, we only had one bathroom, and I would sneak my book into the toilet with me and spend hours in another world. Or go into the garden and get lost in the Magic Faraway Tree. Or climb into a bath and spend the next sixty minutes with the Famous Five. And it’s a habit that’s never left. Except now I can take my book into my bath WITH WINE!

5)      I think lastly, one of my biggest distractions is moving furniture. Yes, I said it out loud in front of everybody. Moving furniture is my absolute drug of choice. Whenever I get very, or even slightly, anxious or worried, I move furniture. From large to small. From entire walls, to paintings and mirrors. I have always been told that I could never have a blind boyfriend because he would come home one day and not be able to find his way into the house. It’s the OCD in me that finds a way to escape, but moving furniture, and cleaning is my last and final big distraction

I think if we all sit and make a list, we will see just how much more we could do with our lives. But then, how much would we miss out on?

 

 

Merlin is best known as being an Enchanter or Wizard

 Truth be told, my Merlin enchanted me from the very day I met him. It may sound like he was a handsome man. Or a great mentor. Truth is, Merlin was a great dane. Let me rephrase, he was a GREAT dane.

 

Let me start at the beginning. I was already a single mom, with 3 cats and 2 dogs. Which for most people is an elegant sufficiency of pet friends. Clearly not for me. I saw his face on facebook, he was needing a new home as his owners were leaving the country. I fell in love almost immediately and asked if I could meet him and see if my doggies got on with him. So I headed off for a meet and greet. Thinking that this meant I could walk away if it wasn’t a match, or we didn’t feel synergy.  

 

Was I wrong. Merlin loved me, and I him, and instead of being given any time to make my home ready for a giant-sized dog, I was given him as a great big take away treat. I drove home, with this monster on my back seat, staring at me in my rear-view mirror. I got home, and he sauntered out from my car. He stared at the two other dogs, and decided that he would stay. He clambered onto the couch, which I was too nervous to make him disembark from, and so started my love affair with my Magician.

 

My daughter was away that weekend and came back to find a large new addition that had taken a place in the family in her absence, who weighed more than she did, and was taller than her without even standing on his back paws. She couldn’t, however, resist, and was in love before the day was through.

 

Merlin was adorned at Christmas time with hats, he took the smaller dogs for piggy back rides, he fascinated all visitors to my home, and captured the love of everybody who met him with his Eeyore eyes and slobbery lips. When we took him walking in the afternoons, people couldn’t help but tell us how beautiful he was, children couldn’t help but touch the big puppy, and he loved every second of the attention he received.

 

He was very much a lap dog. Yes, he may have weighed 75kgs, but in his eyes, he was as tiny as (by then) his 5 brothers and sisters. He loved cuddles, and he loved to play, and even dance. He was a multi-talented lad 😊

 

Although so many people loved him, Merlin chose me. From the first day. I was his human, I was his family. He followed me to the bathroom, where he would wait patiently outside the door for me to return. He never ever left my side.

 

Last year, Merlin was not acting himself during lockdown, and I panicked and thought maybe his tummy had turned. I got him to the vet, and after various tests were run, it was discovered that my Magician had cancer. Everywhere. His beautiful body was just riddled with it. The vet told us it was too late for any kind of treatment and that our time with him was very limited.

 

So I took my Prince home and we made him comfortable. We laughed and we had fun. We made him special food every day. we walked him until he showed us he couldn’t manage anymore.

 

I took photos of his beautiful face and his paw, and had my very talented best friend design a beautiful tattoo of his face in his paw, which he always used to put on my thigh, for the day he longer could.

 

And one day, I noticed my shadow was missing from my office. I went outside, and I saw him lying on the grass. And as I saw his face, I knew he was telling me it was time. So I bundled that frail, now very skinny body into my car, and drove him to the vet. Here we said our see you laters. You see, I had received a very special message from a very clever lady, that Merlin was going to be recruiting on the other side. He was going to be finding perfect Forever Homes for other doggies. He was going to recruit the families, and prepare the doggies, and be doing some very serious matchmaking when he crossed over. And so when he did, I knew that he would still be with me every day. As much as his very busy schedule would allow. He passed loving me with all his heart, and me loving him with every piece of me.

 

I carry his paw on my thigh with so much love. Its not nearly as heavy as it was when he was here in body, but the imprint is in my heart until I get to hold him in my arms again.