Day 253

1/24/23

Trust is an amazing gift to give and receive. Gus has been through so much in his young life, but he still trusts us completely. He doesn't trust much, but if we are near, he offers us that gift...his trust in us.

Thinking back to his life in our care, he has a number of reasons to NOT trust his humans. There have been so many experiences that have given him pain (two surgeries and an eye accident), yet he still looks at us with love and trust.

His faith in me is humbling and makes me strive to protect and direct him towards a good life. It is something I take very seriously.

I also realize that there are many others who trust me in various roles: wife, mother, grandmother, friend, etc. whom I would never knowingly let down. I am always conscious of that gift of trust and hold myself responsible to be the person they can count on. Their trust in me directs my life.

Trusting others is easy for me. Until that trust is broken, I freely accept people as they present themselves. The few times that trust has been destroyed has been an eye-opening experience. After healing the hurt, I have realized a strength that fills in the loss of that trust.

Trust is a gift we give and receive. When we trust someone, they know how important they are in our lives. When someone trusts us, it spurs us on to take the right path on our journey to protect that person and not let them down.

As for Gus and the other pups, I can only hope to be the kind of person they can always trust. If I can be that for my Goldens, I can be that for everyone who puts their trust in me. That is one of my most protected goals in life.