Day 716

Today started out with a need for an "Attitude Adjustment"! One of the Goldens woke me up (EARLY), I had a migraine, my knees hurt...poor me! Of course, by the time the pups had eaten, walked and been brushed, I was moving in the right direction at about 60%!

Grabbing Lilly's Therapy Dog attire, we headed over to Walker to visit our senior friends. We went right up to our one special guy who is preparing to live life without his wife. As we sat and he shared the latest Hospice update, Miss Lilly put her head on his shoe and snored away. Still feeling a bit sorry for myself, I remembered that I was not the real hurting party here...

Suddenly, my friend pointed to a book right next to my chair. Picking it up, I read the title: "If I Could Be Sick for You for Just One Day" by Kathy Kramer. Paging through the book, I soon realized my friend had journaled throughout the pages with the last entry saying..."I won't have you for much longer, but I love you". My heart simply broke.

Everyone faces these moments in life. We all have times when we wish to take the pain away from a loved one, but that's not possible. All we can do is love stronger and deeper while appreciating what we have right in front of us.

As my own aches a pains took a backseat to this man's heartache, I held his hand and listened to the words he needed to share. I wish I could lighten his pain, but all I could do was be there.

Lilly and I had to go on to other friends, so we said our goodbyes and shared a gentle hug. As we walked down the hallway, he called after us that he wanted me to have that book when he was done with it.

What a gift Therapy Dogging is to my soul.