As I write the latest update on life here, Fred lies happily exhausted at my feet. He has spent much of his morning wrestling with toys and receiving treats for learning to sit. His breathing is deep and regular, and his personality is delightful. All in all, I think life is good for Fred, and Fred is full of life.
This weekend has found us full of joy and laughter. It is a wonderful change from the tense last two weeks. This weekend we were blessed to enjoy my father-in-law, who is on a 10-day trip around the south that allows him to see all three of his sons and their families. As it turned out, we were the first on the list, and we have had a great time.
We took him to some of our favorite restaurants, and Friday night we went to see Cars. Confession: I would have bailed out of it if I could have, but it was a family thing, and we all know how “family things” work. You go and enjoy the people even if you can’t enjoy the “thing”. Well, as it turned out, I enjoyed both. The movie was a hoot (southern speak for “very funny”), and the company was fantastic.
Saturday found us sort of wandering in and out of the house and getting ready for a big family get together. My mom, stepdad, and brother all came for dinner, and we had a great time. It was a family get together of the non-stressful sort—yes, those exist. We sat and talked and ate, and it was good.
Sunday was an easy going day. I bought a monster badminton set on my “out and about” Saturday, and my husband put it up yesterday morning. Talk about too much fun! We laughed so hard that we couldn’t play. It was a hit, and we all look forward to playing again. The rest of the day was spent being laid back. Rob and his dad watched NASCAR on TV, and last night the adults watched the NBA Finals game. GO MAVS!!!! The kids just enjoyed their day, and I treated them to some pool time at our neighbor’s.
All in all, the weekend was wonderful. Now it is Monday. Pop is at the airport by now, and Rob is on his way to work. My son has returned to his room, which had been Pop’s for the weekend. Life has pretty much returned to normal, and the children, who loved having Pop here, have said it is nice to have life the way it usually is. In fact, they are wondering when we are going to have our usual breakfast, so I shall go do my usual part of getting our day going.
Hoping you enjoy the abnormal blessings of life and find comfort in the consistent ones.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Update on Fred, our Other Puppy, and Sad, but Freeing Information
Several of you have asked me to keep you updated on Fred (our third puppy). I took him to the vet this morning because he is coughing. The pneumonia is a symptom of distemper. We didn't know that. We thought the coughing was just the kennel cough that could last 7-21 days. Anyway, I took Fred in because distemper is highly contagious and often deadly. In fact, we read that 50 years ago this stuff would wipe out all the dogs in a city. We've learned a lot about distemper.
Some things we learned that have actually made us feel a bit better:
---Ginger was sick when we got her. She never was very social. She wouldn't play with the other dogs or us. She wouldn't wrestle with toys. Robert left an action figure right beside her, and she never touched it. When we would try to pet her, she would walk away. All of those are symptoms of distemper that has affected the brain. Distemper can affect any system in the body, and one of the reasons we missed it with Tristan and Ginger is because it affected them differently. Ginger was affected neurologically. She was still eating and drinking yesterday, and other than the cough and being anti-social, seemed well. We mentioned it to the vet two days after we got her, and he felt it was just being sick from the kennel cough. In short, there was no way to know, and there was no treatment. We did the most humane thing possible. We gave her a loving home and then we let her go as gently as possible. According to the vet, that is all we could do. Amazing to think she was already too sick for us to help the day we brought her home, but those things happen.
---As for Tristan, again, we had no way of knowing. It attacked his kidneys and digestive tract, and by the time you notice the problem, it is beyond treating. Some of you heard me talk about the first day we brought him home when we thought we would have to take him back because he was eating the couch, terrorizing the kids, and acting uncontrollably. The vet thinks that might have been neurological, but it might have been an excited puppy. Hard to say. In any case, the dogs already had distemper when we got them. We just had no way of knowing, and it wouldn't have mattered anyway. They were already beyond treament. In some ways that is sad. In other ways, it is freeing.
---I went today to get a refund for Tristan and Ginger, and despite the 10 day limit, they were very kinds and gave us the refund. On the way in, we read a big sign that said the puppy room was closed and would not reopen for a few days. The man who helped us pick the puppies asked what had happened, and I told him. He shook his head. I asked why the puppy room was closed, and he said, "Distemper. We lost five puppies in the kennel because of it, so we have to sanitize everything." Yep, that sort of says it all.
As for FRED, he does have distemper, BUT he is eating. He has no fever. He drinks water. He is playful. He chews on anything you will let him have. He is loving and affectionate. He has GAINED weight. (Tristan went from 15 to 10 pounds, and Ginger went from 7 to 5 pounds. This is like you losing a third of your weight in 10 days. Imagine 50 pounds in 10 days. Yeah, they were sick.) He has a cough, but otherwise, he shows no sign of illness, so the vet is very optimistic that he will live through this. On the other side of this are questions. In short, whether there will be long term affects or not is "a coin toss", his words. He said the two main long term complications are neurological with either completely passive social behavior or aggressive behavior. How aggressive?, some of us ask. Well, a huge majority of the animals sent to be tested for rabies comes back distemper. I think that says enough. The other possibility is the equivalent of "failure to thrive" in dogs. They never get really sick, but they never get well. They are prone to respiratory things. He said, "They never get sick enough to justify putting them down, but they never really get well either." Again, he has no way of saying if these things will happen or not. They are things he wanted us to be aware of. In summary, he feels really good about Fred. He says he feels we have every reason to be optimistic. We have a humidifier in the sunroom with him to keep his breathing easier and to minimize swelling in his bronchial area, and he likes to eat our shoes.
So that is our update. Fred still needs prayer, and so do we. I cannot tell you what a wild blow this has been to us. It has been stunning emotionally.
Our son, though, true to his magnificent sensibilities adds a different perspective that keeps us smiling. He asked me if I thought God would leave the bones when the puppies died. I assured him that, yes, the bones would be there. He got all excited and asked, "Do you think we can fossilize them and have our friends over for an archeology dig like they do at the DinoDig?" Uh, no, son, I don't think that is good. I love Robert. He makes me smile and laugh when I need it.
God is so good!
Some things we learned that have actually made us feel a bit better:
---Ginger was sick when we got her. She never was very social. She wouldn't play with the other dogs or us. She wouldn't wrestle with toys. Robert left an action figure right beside her, and she never touched it. When we would try to pet her, she would walk away. All of those are symptoms of distemper that has affected the brain. Distemper can affect any system in the body, and one of the reasons we missed it with Tristan and Ginger is because it affected them differently. Ginger was affected neurologically. She was still eating and drinking yesterday, and other than the cough and being anti-social, seemed well. We mentioned it to the vet two days after we got her, and he felt it was just being sick from the kennel cough. In short, there was no way to know, and there was no treatment. We did the most humane thing possible. We gave her a loving home and then we let her go as gently as possible. According to the vet, that is all we could do. Amazing to think she was already too sick for us to help the day we brought her home, but those things happen.
---As for Tristan, again, we had no way of knowing. It attacked his kidneys and digestive tract, and by the time you notice the problem, it is beyond treating. Some of you heard me talk about the first day we brought him home when we thought we would have to take him back because he was eating the couch, terrorizing the kids, and acting uncontrollably. The vet thinks that might have been neurological, but it might have been an excited puppy. Hard to say. In any case, the dogs already had distemper when we got them. We just had no way of knowing, and it wouldn't have mattered anyway. They were already beyond treament. In some ways that is sad. In other ways, it is freeing.
---I went today to get a refund for Tristan and Ginger, and despite the 10 day limit, they were very kinds and gave us the refund. On the way in, we read a big sign that said the puppy room was closed and would not reopen for a few days. The man who helped us pick the puppies asked what had happened, and I told him. He shook his head. I asked why the puppy room was closed, and he said, "Distemper. We lost five puppies in the kennel because of it, so we have to sanitize everything." Yep, that sort of says it all.
As for FRED, he does have distemper, BUT he is eating. He has no fever. He drinks water. He is playful. He chews on anything you will let him have. He is loving and affectionate. He has GAINED weight. (Tristan went from 15 to 10 pounds, and Ginger went from 7 to 5 pounds. This is like you losing a third of your weight in 10 days. Imagine 50 pounds in 10 days. Yeah, they were sick.) He has a cough, but otherwise, he shows no sign of illness, so the vet is very optimistic that he will live through this. On the other side of this are questions. In short, whether there will be long term affects or not is "a coin toss", his words. He said the two main long term complications are neurological with either completely passive social behavior or aggressive behavior. How aggressive?, some of us ask. Well, a huge majority of the animals sent to be tested for rabies comes back distemper. I think that says enough. The other possibility is the equivalent of "failure to thrive" in dogs. They never get really sick, but they never get well. They are prone to respiratory things. He said, "They never get sick enough to justify putting them down, but they never really get well either." Again, he has no way of saying if these things will happen or not. They are things he wanted us to be aware of. In summary, he feels really good about Fred. He says he feels we have every reason to be optimistic. We have a humidifier in the sunroom with him to keep his breathing easier and to minimize swelling in his bronchial area, and he likes to eat our shoes.
So that is our update. Fred still needs prayer, and so do we. I cannot tell you what a wild blow this has been to us. It has been stunning emotionally.
Our son, though, true to his magnificent sensibilities adds a different perspective that keeps us smiling. He asked me if I thought God would leave the bones when the puppies died. I assured him that, yes, the bones would be there. He got all excited and asked, "Do you think we can fossilize them and have our friends over for an archeology dig like they do at the DinoDig?" Uh, no, son, I don't think that is good. I love Robert. He makes me smile and laugh when I need it.
God is so good!
I Love Quotes
I love quotes. This is one I found today that I wish I had truly understood during the first 3 decades of my life.
No matter who says what, you should accept it with a smile and do your own work.- Mother Teresa
No matter who says what, you should accept it with a smile and do your own work.- Mother Teresa
Tuesday, June 6, 2006
Who We Are
My dear friend Iona has her own blog, and I visit everyday. Sometimes she has a new post, and sometimes I read one of the "old" ones. I never seem to get bored. Today she talked about her blog being the recording of her life and how sometimes it simply records the mundane, but it is not meant to be churchy, just real. She is being honest. That is her goal, and she is very good at it.
The thing is, with Iona she doesn't need to be preachy. Her whole life is a sermon. I've known Iona a long time now, and I've known her to go through different seasons, various heart aches, and some rich blessings. During all of that, she has consistently leaned on God to sustain her. Even when her mind was full of questions, her spirit was full of faith. She doesn't have to be preachy. She just lives the faith she professes. It is far more effective, in my opinion.
I admire Iona. I not only admire her faith. I admire her style of life. I admire her writing. Sometimes I want to be like her. Sometimes I can just smile at how God blesses us with passions that look so different and yet so alike.
I am like Iona in that I write my heart, what is rolling around in my head. Iona tends to give a whole picture book in her blogs, and I tend to give a photograph and then express what it means as it rolls around in my head.
Years ago, a friend of mine told me I reminded him of a mystic. I didn't know exactly what he meant, but he is a Christian, and he said it in a complimentary tone, so I trusted it was a good thing. A few months ago I was in a spiritual disciplines class, and the teacher referred to mystics. He wasn't as complimentary. He was grouping people into categories based on belief in God's activity in today's world. There are those who believe God isn't active at all. There are people who think God is active and responds to prayer, but for the most part, He isn't showy. Then there is the group that believe everything means something that God is in every detail and He is always trying to communicate through all aspects of life. The last group, he said rather contemptuously, are called "mystics". My light bulb of understanding went off, and I smiled to myself. Yep, I'm one of those.
I won't elaborate on it at this time because I am growing tired. It's early, and I slept horribly due to the emotional duress of yesterday and the concern for our puppy we still have. However, I bring all of this up because I've been accused of being preachy, and I've been accused of being "sappy". It isn't my goal to be either, and I don't believe either of those are correct. It's just that I take the Word of God to mean what it says--
All things work to the good of those who love the Lord and are called unto His purpose.
I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to do you good, to give you hope and a future.
The steps of a righteous man are ordered of God.
Romans 1:20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
I could go on, but it truly is my belief that in all things God desires to reveal Himself. He wants us to understand His character, and He uses things we can understand to express complex qualities of Himself. So, if I sound preachy, know that isn't my intent. I am merely taking the situation given to me and seeking the Lord in it so that I might understand Him better. By understanding Him, my faith grows, and by seeing Him, I can emulate Him better. It is easier to be like Him when I know what He is like. My writing is simply a written form of what rolls in my head as I seek Him, and maybe it helps others, too.
The thing is, with Iona she doesn't need to be preachy. Her whole life is a sermon. I've known Iona a long time now, and I've known her to go through different seasons, various heart aches, and some rich blessings. During all of that, she has consistently leaned on God to sustain her. Even when her mind was full of questions, her spirit was full of faith. She doesn't have to be preachy. She just lives the faith she professes. It is far more effective, in my opinion.
I admire Iona. I not only admire her faith. I admire her style of life. I admire her writing. Sometimes I want to be like her. Sometimes I can just smile at how God blesses us with passions that look so different and yet so alike.
I am like Iona in that I write my heart, what is rolling around in my head. Iona tends to give a whole picture book in her blogs, and I tend to give a photograph and then express what it means as it rolls around in my head.
Years ago, a friend of mine told me I reminded him of a mystic. I didn't know exactly what he meant, but he is a Christian, and he said it in a complimentary tone, so I trusted it was a good thing. A few months ago I was in a spiritual disciplines class, and the teacher referred to mystics. He wasn't as complimentary. He was grouping people into categories based on belief in God's activity in today's world. There are those who believe God isn't active at all. There are people who think God is active and responds to prayer, but for the most part, He isn't showy. Then there is the group that believe everything means something that God is in every detail and He is always trying to communicate through all aspects of life. The last group, he said rather contemptuously, are called "mystics". My light bulb of understanding went off, and I smiled to myself. Yep, I'm one of those.
I won't elaborate on it at this time because I am growing tired. It's early, and I slept horribly due to the emotional duress of yesterday and the concern for our puppy we still have. However, I bring all of this up because I've been accused of being preachy, and I've been accused of being "sappy". It isn't my goal to be either, and I don't believe either of those are correct. It's just that I take the Word of God to mean what it says--
All things work to the good of those who love the Lord and are called unto His purpose.
I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to do you good, to give you hope and a future.
The steps of a righteous man are ordered of God.
Romans 1:20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
I could go on, but it truly is my belief that in all things God desires to reveal Himself. He wants us to understand His character, and He uses things we can understand to express complex qualities of Himself. So, if I sound preachy, know that isn't my intent. I am merely taking the situation given to me and seeking the Lord in it so that I might understand Him better. By understanding Him, my faith grows, and by seeing Him, I can emulate Him better. It is easier to be like Him when I know what He is like. My writing is simply a written form of what rolls in my head as I seek Him, and maybe it helps others, too.
Monday, June 5, 2006
If Only
It is during the hard times in life we either hold on to God's character or flounder with doubts. There seems to be no grey area. God is God or God is not. Well, I can tell you that I believe God is God, even when God doesn't make sense, and right now, there are a lot of things that don't make sense to me.
We had to put two of our puppies to sleep today. They had contracted distemper and were in the final stages. We chose the humane option and our vet gave them a sedative so we could love on them until they fell asleep, and then we gave the puppies to the assistant. We will pick up their bodies tomorrow, and we will bury them on the family farm where we buried our 14 year-old poodle last March.
I will tell you honestly, I am heart broken. I am filled with questions, and so are my children.
"Mommy, why would God give us the puppies and then let them die?" I don't know. That is a question I have as well.
"Mommy, surely God won't let Fred (our third puppy) die, too." I didn't think He would let Tristan die, so I don't know.
I'm not questioning God's goodness or His faithfulness. As I told the children, for 10 days Tristan and Ginger had a home where they were loved and cared for. They weren't abused or locked in a metal cage. They ran around, got snuggled, and had a comfortable bed. For ten days, they were not abandoned dogs at a pound. They were part of a family who loved them. Surely that had to mean something.
I have had friends in my life that were there for a season and then left. I've known people for a few hours who have left indelible marks on my life. For a long time I have said that some of the most important people in my life were not "friends" but well placed people who came and went so very quickly and yet impacted me greatly. Too often we dismiss the importance of a chance meeting or a brief "friendship". We erase the power of those blessings with the word "only". "We only dated for a short time." "It was only a stranger on the street that helped me when I was lost." How many heroes are only there for minutes or hours never to be seen again and yet beyond forgetting?
Granted, the puppies weren't heroes, but they were sweet. Some day years down the road, they may only be a faint memory, and for our young son, they may not be that, but today, today they are missing members of our family, and the effect is profound.
And I am one of those who needs to know that somehow all of this has a purpose. The Bible says that the Lord knows His plans for me and His plans are for my good, to give me hope and a future. I believe it was a God thing that we got those puppies in the first place, so I believe they were part of His good purpose for us. How does a good purpose last for only ten days? I don't know.
Maybe we needed to be reminded that this life isn't all about us. We got the puppies for our enjoyment. Maybe God meant for the puppies to be with us for their enjoyment. We were the only ones who wanted them. Think that is a big stretch? Maybe. All I know is there is not a sparrow that falls that my Father doesn't know. I know He watches over the beast of the field and man. I also know He cares enough for a mindless flower that He arrays it in robes that even Solomon could not compete with. Maybe God's good purpose was for us to be reminded that He does put those "Only" people in our lives, but sometimes, we are the "Only" people in other people's lives.
I don't know. I know that as I have spoken to those sick little puppies over the last two days, I have told them that I know they are part of God's good purpose for us, and I believe we are part of His good purpose for them, too. They got a home with a family who loved them for ten days. We got puppies who were grateful to have a home and a family who loved them for as long as they were here and then some.
That sounds good, doesn't it?
You know the paradox of "only"? "The." The only one to stop. The only one to help. The only one who wanted to adopt. It is an honor to be the "only", even when only you feel the responsibility, the satisfaction, the joy, the pain.... And if our whole part in this magnificent roller coaster of love and heart ache was to be the "Only" people who were willing to be a family for those who needed it, then I'm glad God picked us, and even if it breaks our hearts, I hope He picks us again because there is something wondrously blessed about being the "Only".
Saturday, June 3, 2006
The Keepr of my Soul
We went to church tonight. Pastor Brady preached on the need of the sheep for their Shepherd and the faithfulness of their shepherd. It was a good sermon, and Rob asked me when we got home what I had gotten out of it. I shrugged and answered, "Nothing yet." It was the kind of sermon that you let soak awhile and see what it brings up.
The basic premises were simple: The Shepherd never leaves us, and the Shepherd cares for us. Pretty basic stuff. At least it is until we realize the role of a Shepherd and the desperate need of the sheep. The Shepherd isn't just some guy with a stick. He's the guardian, the protector, "the keeper of our soul", as Pastor Brady says it. Imagine that. The "keeper of our soul."
The past few weeks have been weeks of turmoil for me. Some of it I think I've handled okay, and some I've just bottomed out on. Through it, I've been asking the Lord for direction, not just to get out of it, which is our first reaction, but I've also been asking what the cause was so I don't get into it again. I've tried to be completely truthful, even when it was clear that my "truthful" was pretty stinky and wreaked. Usually hurt feelings and the resulting anger stink.
And I have felt pretty embarrassed by my stinky side. It really is my heart to love and serve the Lord with all I am, and then this stinky stuff comes up. It hurts my heart to be that way because I know it isn't what God wants, and I hate the idea of hurting His heart. I wonder how disappointed or embarassed He gets because of the "stinky" sometimes.
But He is the keeper of my soul, even when my actions stink. I find comfort and peace in knowing that as the turmoil rages around me, and I sometimes rage within the turmoil, He is there, holding on, keeping my soul, knowing my heart is for Him even when my actions don't show it. I try to comprehend this. In the midst of the chaos and pain, even when it hurts so much that there is actual physical pain in my chest, He is keeping my soul, protecting it, leading it, holding it to Him. It has to be His keeping that draws my faith back to Him when evidence gives reason to believe things are beyond change or resolution. When all seems crazy, He holds me in His peace and bids me rest in lovely meadows behind peaceful waters.
Even in the midst of the storm and am what I do not want to be. He keeps me and leads me to be who I can be in Him. The Lord is my Shepherd-my protector, my provider, the keeper of my soul; I have everything I need.
The basic premises were simple: The Shepherd never leaves us, and the Shepherd cares for us. Pretty basic stuff. At least it is until we realize the role of a Shepherd and the desperate need of the sheep. The Shepherd isn't just some guy with a stick. He's the guardian, the protector, "the keeper of our soul", as Pastor Brady says it. Imagine that. The "keeper of our soul."
The past few weeks have been weeks of turmoil for me. Some of it I think I've handled okay, and some I've just bottomed out on. Through it, I've been asking the Lord for direction, not just to get out of it, which is our first reaction, but I've also been asking what the cause was so I don't get into it again. I've tried to be completely truthful, even when it was clear that my "truthful" was pretty stinky and wreaked. Usually hurt feelings and the resulting anger stink.
And I have felt pretty embarrassed by my stinky side. It really is my heart to love and serve the Lord with all I am, and then this stinky stuff comes up. It hurts my heart to be that way because I know it isn't what God wants, and I hate the idea of hurting His heart. I wonder how disappointed or embarassed He gets because of the "stinky" sometimes.
But He is the keeper of my soul, even when my actions stink. I find comfort and peace in knowing that as the turmoil rages around me, and I sometimes rage within the turmoil, He is there, holding on, keeping my soul, knowing my heart is for Him even when my actions don't show it. I try to comprehend this. In the midst of the chaos and pain, even when it hurts so much that there is actual physical pain in my chest, He is keeping my soul, protecting it, leading it, holding it to Him. It has to be His keeping that draws my faith back to Him when evidence gives reason to believe things are beyond change or resolution. When all seems crazy, He holds me in His peace and bids me rest in lovely meadows behind peaceful waters.
Even in the midst of the storm and am what I do not want to be. He keeps me and leads me to be who I can be in Him. The Lord is my Shepherd-my protector, my provider, the keeper of my soul; I have everything I need.
Thursday, June 1, 2006
Puppy Love
The puppies slept all night last night! We are in the process of house training them, and we have chosen to crate train them, which has been wonderfully easy. The only glitch are the middle of the night potty breaks. My husband and I reverted to the parental duties we had when our daughter was a baby. I take the "early" shift, and he takes the "late" shift. This means that I have been getting up with the pups to take them outside somewhere around 2 am. Rob does the 4:00-5:00 am trip. Last night they slept from midnight until 6:30 with no whimpering and no accidents in their crates. Unless you've been a parent, you have no clue how good that graduation step feels.
Unfortunately, the puppies are still fighting their kennel cough. It is a highly contagious cold for dogs. While the vet has confirmed that they should overcome it on their own in time, the duration is hard on them and us. They are easily tired, not very playful, not what we had expected from puppies, but then, we've only had two puppies during our married life. Both of them came from my parents, so they were healthy, well cared for, and given lots of attention. Our three puppies now were not so lucky.
Tristan, our hound puppy, is about 11 weeks old and had been at the pound for about a week. The vet feels like he was well cared for before that, though, and he is far more interactive and loving. In fact, you don't really have a choice but to love Tristan. He sort of ambles up, lays his beautiful hand face on you, and loves you first. He has good self-esteem. Ginger is a sweet girl, but she is the least assertive. In fact, when we try to love on her, she sort of shuts down and becomes completely inanimate, like a pliable statue. She is also the sickest. Fred is her brother, and he is pretty happy and loves to have his belly rubbed. He will walk up to you with his tail wagging and wait for us to invite him for snuggle time. Ginger never even walks up to us. Honestly, Ginger makes me very sad.
According to our vet, Ginger and Fred are about 9 weeks old. When he figured out the "drop date" for the pound, he said the puppies were dropped off right after they were weaned or maybe even a little early. He said it is obvious they are not well-cared for. Their health is one indicator, and their lack of social skill is another. However, he feels that they will come around as they get healthy and have time with our family. We hope so. In the meantime, we have committed to loving them, not because they are what we had in mind but because that is the choice we have made. They need love and folks to snuggle them while they heal. That's us.
Those are our puppies, but you know? I could point to a whole slew of humans who are very much like those wonderful puppies. They've been abandoned, dumped, or simply not loved on, and they need some good folks to commit to loving them and encouraging them on the road to being healed and becoming all they are meant to be. God chooses to make that commitment. I hope they see God in us.
Just something for us all to ponder.
Unfortunately, the puppies are still fighting their kennel cough. It is a highly contagious cold for dogs. While the vet has confirmed that they should overcome it on their own in time, the duration is hard on them and us. They are easily tired, not very playful, not what we had expected from puppies, but then, we've only had two puppies during our married life. Both of them came from my parents, so they were healthy, well cared for, and given lots of attention. Our three puppies now were not so lucky.
Tristan, our hound puppy, is about 11 weeks old and had been at the pound for about a week. The vet feels like he was well cared for before that, though, and he is far more interactive and loving. In fact, you don't really have a choice but to love Tristan. He sort of ambles up, lays his beautiful hand face on you, and loves you first. He has good self-esteem. Ginger is a sweet girl, but she is the least assertive. In fact, when we try to love on her, she sort of shuts down and becomes completely inanimate, like a pliable statue. She is also the sickest. Fred is her brother, and he is pretty happy and loves to have his belly rubbed. He will walk up to you with his tail wagging and wait for us to invite him for snuggle time. Ginger never even walks up to us. Honestly, Ginger makes me very sad.
According to our vet, Ginger and Fred are about 9 weeks old. When he figured out the "drop date" for the pound, he said the puppies were dropped off right after they were weaned or maybe even a little early. He said it is obvious they are not well-cared for. Their health is one indicator, and their lack of social skill is another. However, he feels that they will come around as they get healthy and have time with our family. We hope so. In the meantime, we have committed to loving them, not because they are what we had in mind but because that is the choice we have made. They need love and folks to snuggle them while they heal. That's us.
Those are our puppies, but you know? I could point to a whole slew of humans who are very much like those wonderful puppies. They've been abandoned, dumped, or simply not loved on, and they need some good folks to commit to loving them and encouraging them on the road to being healed and becoming all they are meant to be. God chooses to make that commitment. I hope they see God in us.
Just something for us all to ponder.
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