In early December I was mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, checking on friend’s updates and reading their story when I came across this picture of a really cute guy. I have to admit, I was a bit taken by the photo, so much so that I had to read the profile. But the picture. Wow. I ended my Facebook session, but could not get the picture out of my head.
For the next week I would go back and look at the picture and re-read the profile. I have to admit, it felt a little bit like I was cheating on my entire family I was so caught up by this photo. I would log into Facebook just to look at him. I finally took a screen shot so I could view it from my own photos. Logging in and out of Facebook was consuming a lot of time, just to look at a photo.
After about a week, I finally got up the courage to send a Facebook message. I was smitten and really needed to reach out. I got a response and we scheduled a meeting for Saturday December 21st. I was so excited and so nervous. What if we met and I didn’t like him? Worst yet, what if he didn’t like me? The initial meeting went well, so well in fact that he came home with me. By that evening he was in my bed.
He has been in my bed every night since that meeting. Fortunately, my husband is very understanding and loves him almost as much as I do. Who knew we needed a puppy? Who knew I needed a puppy?
His name is Charlie Boy and I call him my therapy dog. And he really has been my therapy dog. He has made me forget about most of the thoughts that have consumed my mind these past few weeks. He is pure love, joy, and trust. Just looking at him makes me smile and he always looks like he is smiling back at me. He has made me profoundly happy. He cuddles, and nuzzles, and snuggles. He will follow me around the house, sit by my feet while I make dinner, and lie on my lap while I read. He will bring me toys to play with him, wrestle with his canine sisters in the living room then all three of them will fall asleep in front of the fire.
The thing is, this probably wasn’t the ideal time for us to adopt a puppy with all that has been going on in our world. But if not now, when? We could have waited for conditions to be perfect to add a third dog to our house, but then we would have never adopted another dog.
But Charlie Boy arrived at the time when I needed him most. And it honestly was love at first sight for me when I first saw his photo. There was something about his cute little face, black and pink speckled nose and that one floppy ear. I knew we needed to add him to our family and we weren’t even looking for another dog.
Yes, Charlie Boy (formerly Scout) needed a forever home, but I think I needed him more. I call him my cancer dog, but he has made me forget about cancer and everything that is on the horizon that cancer brings with it. Charlie Boy has made me focus more on the moment at hand. And his trust in me is unbelievable. He trusts me completely. And when he is frightened or nervous or unsure, the first place he comes is to me. He knows I will take care of whatever might be of concern to him. He reminds me that I need to trust God in all of this; that He will take care of everything.
So Charlie Boy, my therapy dog, has been the perfect addition to our family. And my husband was on board from the beginning. He asked when I was going to complete the application for adoption, when was I going to follow-up to see if we were approved, when were we going to meet our new addition. Were it not for him hounding me about getting this new puppy, Charlie might not have been part of our family and an integral part of my sanity.
He has taught me a lot about living in the moment, not waiting for everything to perfect and most of all about trust. I read a quote somewhere that angels are often disguised as dogs. If that is true, then I am truly blessed because I have three that protect me and love me unconditionally. And I believe that it is true. There is no other way to explain how Charlie came into our lives.
So today, keep your eyes open for the angels in your life. They just might have four legs, fur, a wet nose and puppy breathe. And today, please pray for me and I will continue to pray for you.
Tattoos, Motorcycles, Beer, Bourbon and Faith 