Day 395
With four Goldens in the family, every day holds the unexpected! For example, Sam and Gus have devoured at least three remote controls and one Roku! That is nothing compared to Lilly and Ranger (as pups) ripping up our entire kitchen floor when we left them alone for a couple of hours. When Mac went to Xfinity for today's replacement, he held up the partially destroyed remote and, without a word, the man behind the counter silently handed him a new one with a knowing nod!
Ranger, Mac and I went to see a dear friend tonight. This little lady is in Hospice and was given only a day or so to be with us. Lilly and Ranger both love this woman, so I was surprised when Ranger was more interested in the food tray on the table than he was with his dear friend. He is a Golden after all...
Although the visit did not go as planned, I have a saying I hold close to my heart, "Always err on the side of kindness." For me, this has been a mantra in the making for years and years. When I first started doing Therapy Dogs visits, there were times when I was hesitant to surge forward when those we were approaching seemed unimpressed with our presence. Almost every single time, when I asked if they would like to meet my dog, there was a nod, a smile or a strong affirmative response. It would seem most everyone likes dogs!
When I don't have a leash in my hand, it is a bit harder to push forward with kindness. Dogs, after all, or the perfect buffer when meeting new people with needs. As the years have gone by, my hesitation to approach the possibility of a kind gesture has diminished to the point of act first, think later. There have been only one or two times when kindness has been thwarted...but at least my heart was in the right place!
So tonight, as we tried to bring some love and comfort to a friend, Ranger decided that the dinner tray was much more enticing. We did share a lick of the hand and I dare say there was a smile on our friend's face.
Erring on the side of kindness is never a mistake...our sweet friend knew we were there to love her even if the bowl of rice got in the way.
