On work mornings, I generally get up, grab a shower, throw on my trusty and well-worn blue robe, then make myself some breakfast. If I am in a hurry, I will sometimes take my food with me, eating while I drive to work (Bad habit, one that I do not recommend). A short while ago, I had purchased some bagels and cream cheese I intended to have for breakfast that whole week. On that Monday morning, I showered, went to the kitchen and put a bagel in the toaster. I then went back to the bedroom to get ready for work. When I heard the bagel pop up from the toaster, I went back to the kitchen and got the bagel ready by spreading a nice thick layer of light strawberry cream cheese on it. I put the ready-to-eat bagel on the table and went to finish dressing. This worked fine, no problem on the first day. However, the next day, when I had finished dressing and went back to the kitchen; my wife had taken the bagel and left for work. Okay, no problem, I made another bagel and took it with me. On Wednesday, I again followed the same procedures. Again, when I went to leave, the bagel was gone. Joan was downstairs so I didn’t think about it, just made myself another bagel. On Thursday, the bagel disappeared again, but this time Joan was in the back room. I said to her, “Joan, if you would like a bagel, just ask me and I can automatically make two.” She of course didn’t know what I was talking about. I looked around the kitchen and saw Bear sleeping quietly by the washer and dryer. Looking at his muzzle, I saw some telltale pink flecks of strawberry cream cheese. There were also some crumbs on the floor. I must have left the bagels too close to the edge of the table. While Bear was not very tall, he could reach up and put his front paws on the table if he stood on his hind legs. I had never actually seen him do this, but there was no other explanation. Bear saw an opportunity and did not hesitate to take advantage of it. Moreover, he knew he wasn’t supposed to take food off the table, so he innocently pretended to be fast asleep.
How many opportunities do we miss in our lives either because we failed to recognize them or did not take advantage of them? As we follow the path towards our goals, being open to unexpected possibilities can provide great rewards. Bear had no problem identifying and taking advantage of opportunities that presented themselves. Recently we had a Grey Cup party at our house when a number of friends and relatives came over to watch the game. The living room, packed with people, also had plates and bowls of appetizers and junk food everywhere. Some of the food ended up on the floor for lack of room on tables and other raised surfaces. Partway through the game, my sister Lana exclaimed, “Bear! What are you doing?” Until then, no one had noticed Bear eating out of the bowls, having a few potato chips then some dip, and back to the chips. He had eaten about a quarter of each before my sister caught him. Of course, once caught Bear did not run and hide, nor did he look in th
