Day 861

Trust…hard to build, but easily lost.

Yup…back to the veterinarian office. This must be the 12th time in the last two months or so. Today, Mr. Ranger followed us in the door, onto the scale and into a room. His eyes were frightened, but he trusted me more than the power of his fear. Sweet boy!

After an exam, one of our “team” of wonderful vets found something in his sample to suggest the reason for our all-night Slumber Parties. Relief washed over me. Ranger never wandered far from my feet and his eyes were almost constantly on me. His trust was humbling.

There have been a couple times in my life when I have let someone down and the bond of trust was severed. It would take many encounters to rebuild that trust and, in a couple instances, it simply could not be repaired. The lesson learned: Don’t break a bond of trust if at all possible!

However, some of those broken alliances were due to a misunderstanding. You can only go halfway (sometimes closer to the entire distance) and the other party still refuses to forgive or forget. At that point, it seems you need to set boundaries around your heart and move on. For me, that part is the hardest.

Once again, one of my Goldens reminded me how important trust is on this journey. Ranger did everything he was asked to do as long as his Mama held his paw. I NEVER want to erase that look of faith he shared with me today. Beyond that, I remembered how easily that bond can crumble. It is worth every conscious effort to cherish and protect the bonds of trust we have worked so hard to gain.