Day 576

Dogs are pack animals. They often choose to be near one another and even tend to touch another sibling with their paw. It is adorable, but it also reminds me that they were once wild and still display wolf-like tendencies.

They will lie back-to-back to "watch for predators," bark in unison when they are startled to "fend off the enemy," share a good scent to "track anything in their environment" and so much more. They do not need to partake in these latent habits from long ago, but they continue without survival as their goal.

Humans seem to have the same tendencies. Even though our ancestors had survival skills we no longer utilize, our "pack mentality" is very intact! Most people choose to spend a good part of their days around other people. Of course, there is always a time when a quiet corner comes in handy to decompress as well.

While Therapy Dogging, our best moments seem to happen when we are with one person instead of a group. The people have the opportunity to pet those Golden heads without competition and often open up more than they might in a group.

Today, Lilly and I had the joy of embracing those quiet moments with another person. With our seniors, I can always tell when a pearl of wisdom is about to be delivered by the look on their faces. Today, we learned...

*Independence is a gift.

*Devotion to a loved one is one of the purest offerings.

*Being lonely is painful.

*Sharing wisdom to listening ears is an honor.

*Taking a risk now-and-then can be fun.

*A phone call from a loved one immediately brightens the spirit.

*Everyone has had a dog in their lives who they loved immensely.

When we arrived home after our visit, Lilly and I walked through the door and collapsed on the couch together. This was a day when so many needed our love, but I always think there should have been more that we could have done. Petting Miss Lilly on her beautiful head, I said, "Well, Sweetie, we didn't make a huge difference, but we did gather a few smiles in our hearts." She looked at me, with those shining eyes as if to say, "I know, Mommy...I know."