Day 144

10/5/22

Lilly and I could sit and listen to our friend, Don, for hours on end! His gentle soul, amazing stories and beautiful music make him a cherished and beloved person in our lives.

Today, Lilly settled in near his feet and decided to hug him with her paws. I told Don that I had not seen her do this on any other visit. EVER! I truly believe she felt the need to be close to him. As our Golden Empath, I honor her decisions. So, for a reason I couldn't fathom, she snuggled in for the entire visit. The only movement was when she tried to get even closer! If you knew this man, you would be just like Lilly. We just can't get enough of him!

In our visits, we chat about family, memories and music...amongst a myriad of other topics. On this day, our dear friend directed the conversation to poetry he had written in the past. He recited a few lines from a number of poems and then he shared this...

"I used to be able to go for lovely walks outdoors,

Now, I live in a house with so many floors..."

He suddenly stopped and said he couldn't remember the rest, but I could read between the lines. As I looked into those eyes that have seen over 99 years of life, I saw a bit of wistfulness and longing. He was sharing a longing defined by this stage of life. He feels fortunate enough to have a lovely apartment and friends/family surrounding him, but he misses the freedom to be in nature.

We first met this man sitting on a park swing down by the river. Lilly and Ranger veered off the path to beeline for that man and I followed them to his outstretched hands. After loving those big goldens, we visited about his life a bit. He then pulled out his harmonica and played us a tune. The dogs were fascinated. My heart warmed to this gentleman and I knew we would become friends. He was on that swing every day, so our friendship grew. I am so very lucky to have him in my world.

Today, as we left his apartment, I gave him a hug and said, "You are adored. I hope you know that."

He blustered about a bit and then responded with, "Thank you, thank you...I adore you too."

Lilly and I left, but as I softly closed his door, I thought about the gift that man is to so many...including me. Lilly looked up at me, wagged her tail and seemed to agree.