Gracie, my beautiful 13-year-old
shepherd/collie mix, has found
her purpose.
Six years ago, when I came home
from a Boston hospital after my
spinal cord injury, I was
wearing a huge rock-solid brace
that went from my chin to the
middle of my chest.
When my husband Bob helped me to
our couch, Gracie hopped up to
give me her usual 3 million
"Yippee you're home!"
kisses. But before she landed
her sloppy tongue on my face,
she abruptly stopped herself
upon seeing my brace and, I
believe, sensing my pain.
And in that instant, I was no
longer her caregiver. I was in
her care.
Ever since then, Gracie's
reason-to-be has been to watch
over me.
Although she's nearly deaf now,
she feels the vibration on the
floor when I get out of bed. She
rouses herself from her heated
doggie bed. As I head to the
bathroom, she leads the way as
if saying, "I'll protect
you, Mom. Just stay behind
me." If there is anything
such as a slipper in my path,
she will come to a stop, turn
sideways to block me, and then
wait until she's sure I've seen
the obstacle.
Lately, I've been re-learning
how to walk. And just recently I
made my first trek to walk with
her at her favorite spot - a
woodland path around a pond. I
used to walk there with her
every day . . .
before.
It was emotionally brutal seeing
my old dog amble so lamely now.
With her head down, she tried
her best to walk a straight
line, but she couldn't.
The next day something wondrous
happened. Gracie remembered her
calling. Renewed as if granted a
second life, she became happy
and purposeful in her
ever-vigilant new role as
"Grand Protector of My
Mom."
If another dog jumps up to greet
me, I fall. So, on that second
day, a dog about 30 pounds
bigger and many years younger
than Gracie raced in my
direction. Gracie, barking,
"I'll get him!" moved
as fast as she could to shield
me. She planted her old, weak
body right in front of me as a
barrier.
She faced the large, spirited
dog. Then she barked a loud
warning, "You better stay
away from my mom!" The dog
tried to get around her to reach
me. Gracie growled, which I have
not seen her do in over 10
years, "I mean it!"
The dog backed off. Gracie has
taken on 4 dogs at once, to stop
them from getting to me.
You see, she has shown me
something I had not known
before. Gracie would give up her
life for me.
A verse from the song "Mr.
Bojangles" haunts me.
He spoke with tears of fifteen
years
how his dog and him just
traveled about.
His dog up and died.
He up and died.
After twenty years he still
grieves.
Today, I said to my wise
reverend friend Connie, "Do
you think that having Gracie is
worth the pain of losing
her?"
Connie said, "Oh yes. Your
sadness is so deep only because
your love is so deep. What is a
life without love?"
And so, I knelt on the floor
next to my Gracie. "Thank
you for taking care of me - for
protecting me from all of the
evils you think could ever come
my way." I rubbed her bony
hips and shoulders. "You
have done a great job." I
kissed her golden forehead.
"I will always love
you." She sighed, then fell
asleep, tired from a long day of
watching over me. I whispered so
as not to wake her, "You
are my true friend."
-------------------
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Thank You. Chrissy
