Day 47

6/27/22

One of our "favorites" had recently been to the hospital for a short stay. After a visit to the to his room, a family member later reported that our friend said, "Why me? Why do they visit? Why am I so special?" He was truly mystified as to our devotion and affection!

It made me pause and truly give his questions a heartfelt answer. This man, approaching the century mark, has probably never done an unkind act, would still do anything he could for someone in need, loves his family and friends with a genuine passion and exudes sweetness and honesty...AND he plays a mean harmonica! I could go on, but that was where my thoughts began.

Dogs know a good person when they sniff one! People usually take a bit more time, but come to the same conclusion along the way. For me, good people seem to have an aura surrounding them. When I am in their presence, I feel that glow of compassion, interest and kindness as if it were tangible.

Today, we visited our dear friend at a rehab center, where he had been transferred. The staff had already fallen in love with him and said he would be going home very soon! We entered and, again, he was beyond excited and elated that we had come to visit him! I could see the surprise in his eyes and when he said he couldn't believe we were there, I told him there was nowhere we would rather be!!! We even got a private harmonica concert starting out with "How Much Is That Doggy In The Window"!

We talked about his up-bringing and how his mother displayed goodness at every opportunity. We chatted about how, back in the Great Depression, his mom would always have food for the hoboes who stopped by the house. My own grandparents "hosted" many a meal at the back door of their home on the river during the same time. Both families believed the homes were secretly marked somehow to show the wanderers that a kindness would be shared if they just knocked.

One evening, my grandpa said, there was a knock at the door. He was going to try to discover how the hoboes knew their home was a good place to get a decent meal, so he asked, "Who sent you?" The gentleman answered, "God sent me."
My grandfather replied, "That's good enough for me!"
He proceeded to go get a huge plate of food for the visitor.

Our friend's house would be marked in the present day. Somehow, he is marked in the same way. People, who are lucky enough to know him, realize he is a person they can trust and he will give everything he can to help them...AND he plays the harmonica!!!

My pups and I are so lucky that we knocked on that door.