Day 510

Our newest Therapy Dog! Congratulations, Gus!!!!

Our tester for Alliance of Therapy Dogs was encouraging, non-threatening and amazing! She made Gus and me feel like we were the best team EVER! Whew...now the spotlight is off of Gus and on Sam! It may take a few months, but Sammy will follow in those paw prints soon enough.

Today, I was proud of our Gus. He really did a wonderful job during the tests and my pride in that boy was reminiscent of watching my own children achieve great things. Whether it was plays, musical events, academic honors, kind acts or any other time one of my kids would shine, Gus grabbed my heartstrings in the same way.

I realized something today...in the flow of my Golden's accomplishment. It is so much easier to be proud of loved ones than of one's self. In my life, when a goal has been reached or a challenging hurdle cleared, my heart feels relief instead of pride. It is difficult to be your own cheerleader. I am fortunate to have an entire section with pompoms and accolades to cheer me on, but there are many who are not so lucky.

For those who get to the finish line with nobody to hug them and tell them they are amazing, my heart aches for them. There is a need within me to find these people and become their own personal cheering section. Even if it is only one person...like the beautiful story of old:

'A man was walking along the beach and noticed a vast number of starfish that had been stranded when the tide receded. He saw a young boy stooping down to toss a starfish back into the waves. The man said, "There are too many. You won't make a difference at all!" Bending down to pick up another and tossing it into the ocean, he looked at the man and said, 'I made a difference for that one!'"

Go out and find that "Starfish" that needs a lift. "Toss" them towards a place that will nurture and support them. We all need cheerleaders in our lives...just ask Gus!