Anyone who has pets will really like this. You'll like it even if you don't and you may even decide you need one!
Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky.'
Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.
Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box..
It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease....in fact; she was just sure it was fatal.
She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders. The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky.. A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him! The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.
The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.
Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap.
Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called.. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.
When Mary woke for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body f felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life.
He had covered her with his love.
Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day. It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.
Remember....live every day to the fullest. Each minute is a blessing from God. And never forget....the people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most Credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care for us.
If you see someone without a smile today give them one of yours! Live simply. Love seriously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.. Leave the rest to God.
Made me cry.
I love my dogs. They are my children. (I never had human children so pets have always been my fur children.)
Brought a tear to my eye, too.
Our pets do understand us...
Chelle had a Pomeranian who usually slept on her pillow with her and who's greatest joy was finding interesting ways to keep two sleeping "spoons" separated at 2 AM. The first night Chelle had to be hospitalized and didn't come home with me, Pam the Pom didn't come to bed but paced and waited on the porch for her Mommy to come home. What little sleep I did get that night was with our typically aloof and decidedly unaffectionate cat sprawled upon my side and shoulder.
Night after night, Pam wandered the house looking for Mommy and waiting on the porch - until I snuck her into the nursing home (I needn't have worried, it was pet friendly) for the first of several visits. After that first visit, she shunned our room and began spending nights in her usual "day" bed.
After Chelle's funeral, my sister surprised me with a cute teddy bear into which she had arranged for a bit of her ashes to be placed. When I came in that night, I was exhausted and left the bear on the sofa. How she did it, I'll never know but, as in the start fo this thread, I awoke to feel two somethings just above my head - Pam and a special teddy bear larger than she.
Pam now shares my pillow and I (~at my age~) have again taken up going to sleep with a toy bear - as a formerly stray Tom cat purrs in my ear.
Susan
Awwwww Susan that made me cry. It is amazing how much we really are loved by our furry children.
***wipeing away tears.
Susan;
Thank you for posting that. Very touching.