Payin' It Forward

Glo says I can be the guest blogger tonight. She is busy teaching her on line course while I watch the sox.

We had a good report at Tufts today. The wound is healing well. In fact, today they said the area was a bit too dry. A far cry from the moist desquamation ick of the past 1o days. She has to stay on the pain meds for a while after the skin heals because the muscles below are inflamed. However, she will start more weight bearing on the left front leg soon as the inflammation subsides and we only have to clean the thing every other day or so rather than daily. This is really great news. The front desk staff, oncology techs and Dr. Lee were happy to see her, and she was oddly glad to see them as well.

She was adorable at the hospital, greeting everyone in the waiting room with her nose pressed into their hands for a pat. She totally goes up to strangers now, like the Welcome Wagon. When we walked in to check in, a couple was there for emergency care for their 6 year old yellow lab with kidney failure. The dog had been fine, and suddenly stopped eating. Boom, then diagnosed with kidney failure. The woman was crying as they took her pup in for examination. After we checked in, Arrow, Glo and I found a seat in the waiting room sort of near the crying lady. Well, Arrow marched right over to her, nudged her hand in that "you need to pat me now and don't stop" way that she is so adept at doing, and sat next to her. The woman smiled, stroked her head, as Arrow looked at her with those soulful eyes. I really saw this sense of calm and peace appear on the woman's face. She stopped crying at that moment.

Arrow really tunes in to others' emotional states, and has a way of being present with you that is hard to explain. My dad says she always knows where you are. He speaks literally, that Wally. So what he means is when we have been out for the night and she is hanging with them at the Cape watching some dumb tv show likely fox news, she is sound asleep. A few minutes before we pull into the driveway, Arrow will sit up in her bed or stand up and look at the door because she senses our return. She knows where we are- not just physically but mentally.

We ended up having a nice conversation with the couple and all found support and consolation in a shared experience of facing a dire diagnosis unexpectedly. I think seeing Arrow heal, and hopefully being on the other side of this, has shown me what faith can do. And how it really feels good to pay it forward. Arrow with her cold wet nose pressed into this stranger's hand, and her bright eyes and gentle spirit brightened these folks' day. Thanks Arrow for teaching us how to live in the moment and to pay it forward.