Day 462
This girl is dejected. Lilly is restricted from walks right now, so that means no Therapy Dog visits! She knows...
Her feathers were ruffled this morning when I returned from her beloved Walker Senior Residence. As she sniffed me up one side and down the other, I could sense her confusion. "Why does Mommy smell like that place I love to go, but I don't think my brothers went?" She was right!
Walking With Goldens to 'Walker' has opened so many incredible doors to a richer life. Lilly is absolutely beloved there and that love is extended right down the leash! There are people living there who reside deep in my heart.
There is a cheerleader/pedicab driver/care giver/bus driver/ entertainer/you-name-it-he does it. A man named Mike. His enthusiasm is contagious to everyone he encounters so, when he asked me to come speak to a room full of seniors, I responded, "ABSOLUTELY"!" Today was my day!
The topic was ghosts (we are on the Anoka Ghost Tour) and I had more than a few stories. The challenging part of this performance was the audience. Many in their 90s, I wondered just how my visit would be received. I needn't have worried...they welcomed me with open hearts, minds and arms. Of course, they wanted to know where my dogs were!
Many in the audience knew my grandparents and parents. Some vividly remembered me as a small child. All of them loved talking about Anoka history and those individuals who had passed...but might reappear from time-to-time. I assured them that the stories could also be termed "Angel Stories" and they listened with avid attention.
The highlight for me was an endearing lady named Jean. She told me she lived across the street from my grandparents when my mother was young. Although I glossed over the few stories of her recollections of my family, I became transfixed by the story she shared about my cousin.
I never knew Sandra, since she passed long before I was born, but I had certainly pieced together her short life. As a toddler, she had a high fever and ended up with a list of disabilities. I have admired my aunt and uncle's dedication to their only child, but today, I finally embraced the little girl.
Jean offered to babysit for Sandra twice a week so my aunt and uncle could get some time outside of the house together. Being profoundly disabled in movement, speech and cognition, Sandra had to be a challenge. Not for Jean! As a teenager, she spoke of my cousin's beauty and sweetness. Once they bonded, life must have been brighter for everyone...Jean, my relatives and Sandra. She told me how she loved that little girl and would have done anything for her. She described her with a full array of emotions and interests...she made her real for me.
Sandra passed when she was only twelve or so, but she had happiness in her little life. My Goldens brought this realization to me through their connections at Walker. What a gift to meet my cousin for the first time through this lovely lady's eyes...a true gift!
Dogs open so many doors that might have remained closed forever. My gratitude runs deep for every gift they "hand me" with their Golden paws and hearts!
