Day 830
With three pups "under the weather" due to hot spots and such, Gus was the only one in tip top shape for a Therapy Dog visit. Off we went to our beloved Norbella for our weekly jaunt.
Gus is the sweetest boy and so many people agree! When he was a puppy, we needed to don falconer gloves at times to avoid scrapes and puncture wounds delivered with his unbridled love. Now, this boy can do no wrong!
In the Memory Care Unit, Gus was a hit! Going from person to person, he charmed all with his affectionate nature and eagerness to please. Placing his head in people's laps, sitting next to others with that adorable look offered to just about anyone and a paw strategically placed on a knee now and then. Yes...he was a success until...
...one dear lady introduced him to her own puppy. Gus only has one vice and that is his love of stuffed animals. He simply wants to carry them around, but they often come out a bit damp with affection. To make matters worse, this one looked like his Snuggle Puppy who, with its beating heart, keeps him safe through the night. Gus often holds his 'Snugs' between his paws as he slumbers.
Our friend offered her "puppy" for a sniff and Gus decided she was kindly giving him a gift. He gently took the 'Snugs' look-alike in his jowls and turned to leave. His job was done! I hurriedly retrieved her puppy and apologized for the damp condition. She was glad to get her dog back and said the extra "wet" made him even more special!
As we left, with a few backward looks from my boy, I thought about that stuffed puppy. To that lady, her dog was real. She talked about it as if she had to feed it and make sure it didn't get lost. Someone else held a baby doll who was also real in their eyes. Until today, I have not embraced this concept with empathy. In the past, I have simply honored their "companion" and played along with the charade. Putting myself in their world, I can see how their limited existence could include REAL puppies, REAL babies and other companions.
When I was a little girl, each and every one of my stuffed animals and baby dolls were REAL. Before going to bed at night, I would tuck them all in and make sure they were warm and comfortable. They were beyond REAL to me and I never questioned the life within them.
As I grew up, those childhood friends lost their sense of REAL and became toys once again. Like The "Velveteen Rabbit," they had been loved and were real in their essence, but I had moved on. The question that begged an answer was, "How different is the world of childhood imaginings to those of people in the Memory Care Unit?" I would say they are just about the same. The young and old have the capacity to let magic in and keep reality at arm's length. Knowing how magical my childhood was, I now look at my elderly friends with a new sense of wonder.
Those who have issues with aging brains often seem to revert to childhood fantasies and realities. Caught somewhere in the middle, in a sense, I envy that lady with her puppy. She has returned to her childhood where stuffed animals are REAL and 'reality' simply takes a back seat. Not a bad place to live, if you ask me!
The next time Gus visits these friends, I think I might take a big bag of Beanie Babies as an offering and join in the fantasy! Of course, I will let Gus pick his out first!
