Thirsty?

In dog-friendly metropolitan areas it's commonplace to find dog bowls full of water outside of stores. In neighborhoods that lack retail, it is rare to find a kind soul who thinks, "In 90-degree weather, dogs walking with their owners are thirsty and I can do something about it." But on a long stretch of street, this is what we found:

One lone dog bowl, thoughtfully placed next to the sidewalk, was there to rejuvenate and it offered an opportunity to see beautiful. Providing water for passer-by dogs wasn't expected. In fact, it was the fact that the dog bowl was absent from other driveways that made it such a striking act of thoughtfulness. What's even more beautiful? When walking through the neighborhood on the equally-hot-next day, the dog bowl was there again, and this time, there was ice in the bowl. That's right, ice! The dog bowl with water was one thing, the ice, well that kindness is just beautiful! Someone wanted to make sure it was just the right temperature for our puppy companions who aimlessly try to please us in this world.

What if you did something unexpectedly nice today, for animals or humans? What if you set out a dog bowl (water or ice-filled)? Held open an elevator? Bought the person's lunch behind you in the drive through? Helped someone carry his/her groceries to the car? This list is endless. The opportunities are beautiful. There's beauty in the unexpected. Who knew an ice-filled dog bowl could help one see it and then inspire? Wow, it did.

Author: Lydia Criss Mays

Founder & Owner, See Beautiful