The Writing on the Wall: "THIS is Life" Says My Granddog

Thursday, December 22, 2016

"THIS is Life" Says My Granddog

My granddog, Ragnar, is here for the week while my daughter and her husband are off on a cruise. I have puppy-proofed the house as best as I can. I fear for the tree...and the gifts under it...

It will be a quiet Christmas, just my hubby, me, and the granddog. It will be the first Christmas without my kids home. I am content. I don't want or need anything. (Except for my granddog not to chew up the Christmas tree.) All my cancer surgeries are over, and today I have the check up from the last surgery a week ago. Peace reigns for a time. Truth be told, I am grateful I don't have to worry about cleaning, cooking, or planning. I love my children with all my heart. But they are all doing wonderful happy things and I am happy for them. And this year has been exhausting. The dog, hubby, and I will celebrate Christmas splendidly by ourselves.

My heart is warmed by so many blessings of Christmas cheer. Twelve of the women I follow who chose life over abortion had lavish Christmas gifts bestowed upon their entire family from Cities4Life supporters. It started with one friend, Becky, offering to bring Christmas gifts to one family...and soon mushroomed from there.

I did nothing but match names with willing donors. It was very gratifying to see so many people willing to sacrifice so much to help strangers. I know the moms I work with are not always able to eloquently express their gratitude. Many are shell-shocked, still in very difficult circumstances. However, I am certain that the love of Christ which suffused the offering of every gift will permeate their wounded souls.

But back to the granddog. I had been warned by everyone, including my daughter and both my PT and massage therapists that I would be foolish to walk Ragnar. Given my small size, my recent surgery, my frozen shoulder, and the young, impetuous Ragnar who is a fairly big dog...they felt I would be courting disaster.

But, what's the use of a dog if you can't walk him? Or better yet, run with him??

Well, there are perks when the dog is beautiful. Just looking at him fills my heart with joy.
And then, there is that soft fuzzy thick fur. Cuddling with him is really not at all unpleasant.

Nonetheless, I wanted very much to be able to walk with this dog. So I practiced in the back yard as I had promised my therapists, and when that went swimmingly, I asked Ragnar if he wanted to go on a real walk. He did.

I was careful to keep him on a short leash when we passed dogs and people. He loves both, but is a puppy still, only 9 months old, and rambunctious. If I let him get crazy, I was a goner. I kept a pouch of treats near, had him sit when the dogs passed by, stuffed him with treats and all was well. No stitches from my recent surgery were ripped out, no frozen shoulders were maimed.

Then, just to see, I started jogging. Man, this dog can move! He glided next to me with beautiful effortless strides.
"I am SO running you in the morning," I told him.
He smiled at me.

We came in from our walk, and I settled down to write my blog. I had showed him the dog door, and bribed him with treats to go in and out of it. I hoped he would learn to use it. At his home, he does not have a fenced in backyard or a dog door.

As I was working, I heard the dog door flap snap shut. I hurried to the back room and looked out the window. Ragnar was playing in the back yard. Twenty minutes later, he came in the dog door, barreled over to me and leaped up to lick my face. Overjoyed.

There is a big beautiful world out there, he told me, and I have total access!
I know, I said, God has created magnificence for us, hasn't He?