This is my dog, Maggie. Every time I walk through the door, she greets me with a smile. And yes, that’s a real smile, not a snarl. One night I came home from a long work trip. The travel had been stressful, I was wiped out, and honestly, I just wanted to crash. But the second I opened the door, Maggie lost her mind with excitement. She jumped, wagged her tail, whined, and basically threw me the best welcome-home party ever.
She didn’t care that I wasn’t in a good mood. She wasn’t mad that I’d been gone for a week. She just loved me. Unconditionally.
And the thing is, I don’t have to be gone for a week to get that kind of greeting. I can run to the grocery store for five minutes and come back to the same level of celebration. Every single time, she makes me feel like the center of her universe.
It got me thinking. Why don’t people do this? Why don’t I love my wife, my kids, my friends with that same enthusiasm? How would that make them feel?
So the next day, when Zoey came home from school, I decided to give it a shot. I jumped up from my desk, ran to her, wrapped her in a big hug, and in a voice that sounded a lot like Buddy the Elf, I asked, “How was your day? What did you learn? Did you make a new friend?” She giggled, smiled, and that after-school funk she had been carrying around disappeared. Later, when Emily came home, I did the same thing. I wagged my butt and I even licked her face. We all laughed, and the energy in the house shifted instantly.
Now, I don’t greet them like that every single day, but every once in a while I remember how dogs love and try to love like that myself. The result is always the same. Happiness. Laughter. Joy. Love returned.
Try the Dog-Level Greeting
Think of one person you care about who deserves that kind of love. The next time they walk through the door, meet them with real enthusiasm. Smile big. Say their name. Hug them. Ask how their day was and really listen to the answer. Notice what happens to them. And notice what happens to you.
