Lucky Dog

Lucky Dog....


Anyone who has pets will really like this. You'll like it even if you don't and you may even decide you need one!

Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky.'

Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.



Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.

It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease....in fact; she was just sure it was fatal.

She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders. The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him! The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.

The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.

Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap.

Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.



When Mary woke for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body f felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life.
He had covered her with his love.

Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day. It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.



Remember......live every day to the fullest. Each minute is a blessing from God. And never forget....the people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most Credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care for us.

If you see someone without a smile today give them one of yours! Live simply. Love seriously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God


A small request
All you are asked to do is keep this circulating.


Dear God, I pray for the cure of cancer.
Amen

All you are asked to do is keep this circulating, even if it is only to one more person, in memory of anyone you know that has been struck down by cancer or is still fighting their battle.

Happy Anniversary! April 7

Dear Friends,



It was just one year ago today that I received my diagnosis of cancer. At the time I was filled with many fears, now I have great peace. To celebrate I have this to share with you.



What has cancer taught me?



I was asked this on finishing my course of 33 radiation treatments. Now it is two months later and I am ready to share (in written form) what I have learned.



Having been diagnosed with cancer and dealing with it’s treatment has given me the opportunity to reflect on my life. There are all the hours you are awake in the middle of the night, the time spend locked behind a steel door in radiation and those twilight minutes between naps!



I have always considered myself to be a person of faith. I was so blessed to be brought up by a mother and father who saw to it that I had a relationship with God. My Grandmother McAdams passed away when I was 5 years old. My parents handled the potential of my being scared by death by calmly explaining to me that when a person dies that they go to heaven. What a gift! Of course, you do need to accept the gift and acknowledge it, have that gift become a part of your life.



Being a recipient of a gift so freely given is not so easy, I have discovered. It is a humbling experience. After all, I am a very independent, self-suffiencent person! Accepting the knowledge that I cannot do it all on, my own in fact that I NEED to let others give is new to me. I much prefer to be on the giving side. Somehow, that has been my nature. All the details in the giving create joy within me. Thinking of what the recipient could use, what they need and enjoy. Factored in also is will this gift delight? Will the recipient’s eyes light up? Did they even know such a thing existed?



How much are the above thoughts like those of God when he sent his son to save us?



My faith has become so much deeper over the last year. I see examples of God’s promises to us everywhere I look.



Several years ago, I heard. Ken McCaughey, the father of the sptuplets born in 1997 speak. He said that they left everything in God’s hands once they made the decision to carry all 7 babies to term as opposed to doing a selective reduction. I clearly remember thinking his faith was somewhat naive, that we need to work, to be reasonable in our prayer requests. Now I realize that at times prayer is all that is available. That it takes a humble person to honestly believe that God will provide exactly what you need. Not what you think you need.



All of my prayers have been answered. Many of the answers were not what I was expecting. Other answers came in the form of gifts. Yes some prayers I am still waiting to discover the answer.



It all reminds me of the newest GEICO commercial where the CEO does the “trust fall” with the Gecko. Yes, I trust God that much! My wish for you is that you can learn the lesson without the expensive tuition!