This one was prompted by a Debe Maxwell post who wrote about thankfulness for fur babies. My first post was about my wife but I think it is time to talk about the rest of our family. We do not have kids in the traditional sense but our dogs are family and what they do for my peace of mind is a priceless gift. When I was courting Charlene it had to go through Hope Elizabeth her standard poodle. Hope was not a trusting dog having been mistreated at a puppy mill and rescued by a raid. Charlene said that she was not expected to live but made it anyway and enjoyed the best life possible. Once I proved myself then I was responsible for constant petting and attention to her. When we lost our older mutt then Hope became very lonely and Henri the toy came into our lives. Henri's father was a top poodle at Westminster but his legs grew one inch too tall. He couldn't be shown or breed to we took this precious cargo and Hope was lonely no more.
I know I have written about this before but Hope did something extraordinary and I credit it with saving my life. When I was getting flu like symptoms in 2007 and 2008 it turned out to be cancer and i talked about this in my first post for this contest. What I didn't say is that in 2008 Hope refused to leave my side and wouldn't eat. We took her to the vet for testing but nothing was wrong. Once I was diagnosed and headed to Houston her appetite came back and she was happy again. Sometimes dogs are just smarter than we are and she knew something was wrong. Hope died a little over 3 years ago but lived to be 14, a good age for a standard poodle. To this day I still think that Hope was a Bodhisattva, a Buddha of Compassion, and I know she is back on this earth taking care of someone. Now it is only Henri and normally he is in my lap as I type at the computer but he is with Charlene at the dentist as she gets her permanent crown and Henri delivers comfort to my panicky patient and wife. I will always know Hope as someone who gave me hope and inspiration, and Henri is still my giver of comfort and joy. The picture is after i came back from treatment in Houston. I miss my Hope every day and can't wait to hug my Henri on his return.
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