Faithful Furry Friends

Faithful Furry Friends

By: Cyndi Wilkins 

 

(4 min. read) 

As the world becomes more complicated and chaotic by the minute, I have made a conscious choice to focus more on the simple things that bring me great joy. A walk with my dog, for example, is one of my favorite activities of the day. Just observing her joyful play fills me with gratitude for being able to provide such simple happiness for another living soul. And it is reciprocated every day by the love she demonstrates in return. We are like a ‘soul-bonded’ pair. My day is not complete without a walk with my fur baby! 

I find as I get older, I am craving a deeper connection to the animals in my world and not so much the people. Anyone who has felt the unconditional love of a pet knows exactly what I mean. My dad was one of those folks. He never went anywhere without his beloved Beagle. Even if he were offered an all-expense paid trip for a fishing expedition anywhere in the world, he would turn it down if he could not take his dog. Now, that is love! 

Several years ago, before a severe stroke took him down for the last time, my dad’s last request was to see his faithful companion. I brought the dog into the nursing home and placed him on the bed next to his human. The stroke had already claimed Dad’s mobility but had not yet taken his voice. The last words he spoke were to his best friend. “You’re a good boy.” 

When Dad passed a couple of weeks later, I asked the Hospice Chaplain to speak at his service. Not being much of a religious person, he had no connection to the church, but had developed a deep bond with the Chaplain, who sat by his side every day to offer him comfort whenever we took a much-needed break. She asked my permission to give his eulogy in honor of the bond he had with his dog. We both laughed aloud when she told me he did not talk about his kids. He just always had that dang Beagle on the brain!  

Not surprising at all when you consider Beagles are among the most loyal of all breeds, and the only dog my dad would ever choose as his K-9 companion. That is, except for my dog Mikka, a mutt I adopted as a rescue while I was still living with my parents. When I moved out, my dad said he and mom wished me well, but I had to leave the dog with them because my mother had fallen in love with her. Yeah, right, Dad! I knew his heart, and there was no way that dog was coming with me. I am sure she was among the first to meet him at the ‘Pearly Gates!’ 

In honor and gratitude for all the lessons of love that I learned from my parents and these faithful furry companions, I would like to share a passage that so eloquently defines the heart and soul of the relationship between man and his best friend. 

A Faithful Dog Will Play with You 

And Laugh with You, Or Cry 

He Will Gladly Starve to Stay with You 

Nor Ever Reason Why 

And When You’re Feeling Out of Sorts 

Somehow, He’ll Understand 

He will Watch You with His Shining Eyes 

And Try to Lick Your Hand 

His Blind, Implicit Faith in You 

Is Matched by His Great Love 

The Kind That All of Us Have 

In The Master Up Above 

When Everything Is Said and Done 

I guess It Isn’t Odd  

For When You Spell ‘Dog’ Backwards 

You Get the Name Of GOD 

-Leonard Kreicas 

While I was writing this blog, someone in my network shared a beautiful message from a young woman named Daniella, who had just lost her battle with Cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive bile duct cancer. This same cancer recently took the life of a dear friend, so it had a powerful impact on me. 

In part, she writes, “We cannot control what happens to us; we can only control how we react. I chose not to mourn the life I was losing, even though I was devastated, but instead chose to enjoy every moment I had left.” 

“I have always believed you should enjoy the little things in life and cherish every moment! Romanticize your life! Do whatever makes you happy, and do not let anyone take the joy of life away from you! “  

“I loved my life, my job, my fiancé, my family, my friends, and my dog. Leo, my fur baby, was brought into my life to help brighten my darkest days.”  

“Thank you to everyone for making my life so magical. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. Enjoy the little things.”  

-Daniella T. 

Recently, I suggested to a friend that the healthiest thing she could do to help heal her broken heart after a messy divorce was to write about the experience as a means of sorting out her feelings. I should have suggested it may be time for a Beagle;-)  

 

Cyndi Wilkins
                                                                     All Things Wellness, LLC
                                                                  cyndiwilkins12@gmail.com

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